Slayer's Knight
by whiteknight
Summary: Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just before the battle with Glory.
1. CHAPTER 1

TITLE: Slayer's Knight AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's KnightAUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just before the battle with Glory. SUMMER'S RESIDENCE. Xander and Giles were talking about whether Buffy and Dawn would come out of loosing Joyce unscathed. " They're both strong young women Xander I think they should be all right. As long as we give them room and support."Xander watched as Buffy hugged Dawn while willow talked to them both. " Love.. That's another thing they will both need Giles. One of the things that go through your mind is that there's no one left to love you anymore. No one to comfort and support you in your time of need." Xander looked at him. " Your sure Glory had nothing to do with her death? I mean it seems awfully suspicious that Joyce should just up and die when Buffy's close to the date..."Xander realizes he had said too much but the look on Giles's face meant he couldn't leave it hanging. Giles gripped Xander by the arm and forced him into the kitchen. " Just how do you know what day she'll battle Glory?" Xander sighed. " Giles I..." He made a decision. " Okay I'll tell you what I can. When Willow and I went to LA to tell Angel about Joyce we went to this Karaoke bar that Deadboy was supposed to be at called Caritas. The host wouldn't tell us anything till one of us sang." Xander blushed. " Well till I sang.. He told us where Angel was then pulled me to one side...The demon gripped Xander by his chin and moved Xander's face from side to side before he prodded and pried his body like he was a prize cow. Xander finally pushed his hands aside. " Hey bud I had enough of that working at the Fabulous Ladies... Never mind just what are you playing at?"" You're the ONE! " He eyed him critically. " Boy you need to really work out.. Fast. " He places a hand on his shoulder. " I sense you have all the skills you need inside you but you need to hone the martial side of these skills before May 22nd." "What's my birthday got to do with anything?"The demon cocks his head then mumbles, "You are the one for her." Before going on. " Nothing it's the day the Slayer will go against Glorificus and she will need you by her side ... What's your name again?" "Xander."The demon stares at him. " Please let that be short for something."Xander shakes his head. " Alexander L... Alexander Harris."He smiles. " Well now isn't that a coincidence. Alexander... Defender of Man. Well Xander you will have to train and train very hard if you want to live up to your namesake.. And your destiny."PRESENT DAY Giles fumed at him. " So you knew the day Buffy would have to face Glory yet you kept it to yourself?" Xander looked at his mentor. " What and have everyone give up like you did when the prophecy told you she would die? Hell no! I've spent the last six months training everyday and most of the night, and held down my job just so I could be ready. " He lent against the counter. " I was going to tell you tomorrow Giles and give you this." He held out a manila envelope. " The other thing I was told was that I would not be coming back from the battle. Something happens.. That's all he would say." Giles is shocked as he grips the envelope. " What? What happens? " He sees Xander will tell him no more. " What about the rest of us?" Xander slumps back against the counter and shrugs. " Everyone but me returns here. I guess Snyder was right I was born to be a sacrifice." Xander suddenly smiles. " But at least Buffy and the rest of you come through and that's fine by me." Giles stiffens. " Look Xander I know things have been hard for you since Anya.. Left." Xander cut him off. " She didn't leave me Giles she chose to go back to D'Hoffran when he caught her at a low time. She told me her ex boss appeared to her just after Joyce's funeral when she was beginning to doubt whether mortality was worth dying for and he offered her the Vengeance gig back. Of course she jumped at it.. Hell I would have too!" THE NEXT DAY. Dawn makes her way downstairs to find Buffy dressed up as if she were going on a date. " Getting in early or getting ready really early?" Buffy grins sarcastically at her. " No sis I'm going to go to the bank today and try to find out if he'll accept sex in exchange for money. Before you start I'm actually going to find out about starting to pay the mortgage payments again." Dawn finishes pouring milk on her cereals. " It's been six months Buff Mom's insurance would have paid it off surely." Buffy shook her head. " No I found out yesterday Mom cashed in her insurance to try and keep the Gallery afloat. At first I thought it was Dad secretly paying for the utilities and house repayments but after talking with him his new wife has every cent he earns tied up." Dawn grins for the first time in months. " Wow a real mystery! Maybe the Gallery's doing fine and it's paying all the bills. " She frowns. " No wait it closed down.... Maybe Giles knows?" She has another spoon full of breakfast then tells her. " I have to see him before school so I can put out a few feelers." Buffy sips her coffee then says." Just don't be to obvious Dawn. If it is him I don't want him to know we know." She places her cup down. " You know what he's like if it is him he'd just faint from embarrassment. "THE MAGIC BOX. Dawn sneaks in to try and see if she can over hear Giles saying something that would give them a hint but all she sees is Xander asleep on his couch. She tip toes over to surprise him when several letters catch her eye. All but one were addressed to Xander's flat but re directed to a post box. All except one that, after she turned it over, came from the same bank Buffy was going to this morning. She folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket before she left Giles's and raced home. She caught Buffy just as she was leaving and raced up to her. " BINGO!" She waived the open letter in front of Buffy before holding it behind her back. " I know who our Mystery sugar daddy is." Buffy is trying to get the letter from her as Dawn asks. " Before I tell you did you know Xander lost his apartment and, as we speak, is sleeping on Giles's couch?" Buffy stopped trying for the letter and exclaimed. " No way! He would have said something! Besides if he did lose it he's probably trying to get another one." Dawn holds the letter up. " Not likely sis! He'd be pushing it if he did..." Buffy is sat at the kitchen table as she re-reads the bank statement then compares something with one of the letters of demand from the bank. Dawn points it out to her again. " See each month the same amount is deducted from Xander's account and the amount and code is the same as Mom's mortgage." Dawn sits down at her side. " Then if you check back he also had the quarterly utilities and phone deducted from his account as well." " No wonder he lost his apartment!" Buffy looks at Dawn. " But why? Why would he do this?" Dawn shakes her head. " Buffy, Buffy, Buffy you poor young fool. It's one of two things either he still loves you enough to put him on Giles's couch while he pays for all this." Dawn looks surprised. " Ohh or maybe it's me he secretly loves and he's just waiting till I turn 18 to ask me out!" She begins to hyperventilate. " Oh god It's me I know it! He loves me. " She grins and begins to spin. " he finally loves me."Buffy shakes her head. " God spare me from puppy love...Next dumb idea?" She has to shake Dawn from her daydream." I said next dumb idea?" " Oh yeah maybe he's luring us into a false sense of security then BAM! We wake up in some sheiks harem!" She grins. " Mind you if he's the Sheik then..." Buffy is still reading the statement as she tells her. " If he even looks sideways at you he wont be in the mood for anything.. Ever!" Dawn stands up and walks over to the sink. " You're just jealous because he loves me and not you! Why I bet you haven't even thought about him that way." She sees the letter shake then Buffy turn bright red. Dawn is shocked. " OH MY GOD! You do! You do have those thoughts about him. EEW!!!" Dawn is shaking her hands. " My sister has the hots for my boyfriend!"END OF 1 Believe me it gets better! 


	2. BUFFY'S PLACE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 2 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 2AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory , with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral. BUFFY'S PLACE``````````` Buffy glared at her. " Dawn! I don't know what it is. I've had this feeling deep down inside that if I even whisper his name he'll runaway like Riley or turn evil like Angel." " Hah! Do the words fat and chance mean anything to ya?" She sits next to Buffy. " Go to the bank find out what's going on then we can confront him, assuming it is him." " Then what? if it is him just what do we do?" Buffy runs a hand through her hair. " I mean we can't let him continue to bankrupt himself and sleep on Giles's couch just so we can live here?" Dawn grins. " I have an idea!" She glares at her. " But he's still mine so hands off the merchandise!" Buffy places a hand over hers. " Believe me when I say... If I even see him look at you like he wants to kiss you he'll be in jail worrying about being Mrs. Mass murderer before he gets within a foot of you !" 6:45 pm- THE MAGIC BOX. Giles is watching Xander as he trains and he is impressed to say the least." You're still not watching your left Xander." Xander grins then picks up the metal arm pads and slips them on. " Pick up a pig sticker and show me then." Giles takes off his jacket and goes to the armory and comes back with his favorite sword, he salutes Xander and they begin to fight. After half an hour Giles holds up his hand and falls to his knees panting for his life while Xander is still twirling the blade like Conan the Barbarian. A fact that Buffy notes. " So 'Conan' are you finished with the pensioners? Are you up for the next level?" Xander grins and salutes her with the sword. " Ready to see your sister's ass get kicked Dawn?" Dawn had her arms crossed as she glared at Xander. " Depends are you ready to tell the truth?" Xander hesitated and his mask slipped. " What are you talking about?" Dawn left the doorway and returned with a gym bag throwing it on to the floor. " So what's this? Your laundry? And just why don't you invite us to your apartment anymore?" Xander stuttered. " Wwell Since Anya left it got to big for me so I let the lease slip." Buffy tapped him on the shoulder with the tip of her sword. " Ready to rumble? Or are you going to spill?" Xander looked to Giles who shrugged. " I.. I can't tell you so it looks like we rumble." Buffy gave him everything she had until he was pinned to the floor by the point of her sword. She huffed. " So do you yield?" Xander held his hand up and waited till he caught his breath then pointed down to his sword hand. Buffy looked down and followed the blade till the end touched just under her shirt. " It's called stale mate Buffster. You move we both go." She eased up and let him stand then attacked him again this time she knocked the sword from his hands.She grinned, expecting him to surrender but instead he went on the attack. The metal arm pieces taking the force of her strikes till he managed to trip her landing on top of her .He pinned her arms behind her head and lowered his face to hers. " So do you yield my lady?" All during the fight she couldn't help but notice that something was changing in the man she knew but as soon as he grinned at her and moved his face close her heart jumped and she used her slayer muscle to throw him off.She glared at him. " Okay dog boy just how long have you had it back?" Xander laughed as he grabbed a towel and proceeded to dry himself off. " Relax Buff it's under control." Giles looks between them. " Sorry did I just miss something?" " Hyena boy is back Giles! " Xander held up his hands. " Whoa! Wait just a freaking' minute there. It's not back Cuz it never left ... Well that's what ... Oh to hell with you!" Xander ran from the room just as Willow and Tara came into the shop. Willow ran into the training room. " Why did Xander just do the Jessie Owens on us?" Dawn slumped into a chair. " We were just going to find out about him when Buffy went all creepazoid on him." Buffy glares at her. " Well you did! So what if you think he's acting like a dog? I wanted to find out what he'd say about the payments!" Willow smiles at Dawn. " A dog?" Buffy looks at Willow. " Hyena boys back." Willow begins to freak. " Holly shit no!" She runs over and locks the door then comes back. " He didn't ... You know ... Do anything to you?" " What? No! " Buffy exclaims Dawn sidles up to Willow." Did he ... What?" Willow tells her. " Well when he was possessed he tried to .... I'm trying to find a kind way of saying rape but there is none. " Dawn looks at Buffy then before Willow finishes. " Then he tried to eat me." " How come he's still alive?" " Because he was possessed!" Buffy and Willow answered her at the same time. Giles walks over to the phone. " I think we need someone to talk to this Host!" He picks the phone up and dials Angel's number. " Meanwhile I think the rest of you should find Xander before something else happens. THE RUINS OF SUNNYDALE HIGH. Willow found Xander sitting on the remains of the school steps staring off into the night. " Hey you. " Willow said to him. " Hey yourself." Xander replied as she sat next to him. " Don't Ya know it's dangerous out here at night?" Xander grinned at her. " Haven't you heard I'm the next big bad?" Willow rested her head on his shoulder. " Oh I somehow doubt that Xander. You forget I'm a witch." " So?" Xander asked.Willow blushed. " I caste a spell so I could hear what the Host told you...almost all of it Xander." Xander turned to her. " Again. So?" " I know he told you something about your destiny. I didn't get that much but I did hear him say your inner selves would come forth before your destiny came." She grips his hand. " I take it your inner selves were the Hyena and? ...."" Soldier boy is back too. " Xander smiled." In fact the 'Sarg'is keeping dog boy in check." Xander stiffened and looked into the night. " Shit! Willow run ... Now!" Willow looked into the night. " Why? I don't see... Crap!"Xander stood as three Vamps made their way into the light. " Hey kids don't you know this building's condemned?" Xander shook his head. " Why don't we cut the chit chat and get on with the dance?" He saw them look at each other before they Vamped out and faced him. " There we go.. That wasn't hard now was it?" Xander turned his neck till it popped and he smiled at them. " Sarge says it's playtime!" END OF 2 


	3. SUNNYDALE HIGH

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 3 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 3AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season..6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory , with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral. SUNNYDALE HIGH. Willow watched as Xander brought down the last Vampire and held a hand against its throat. She watched, mesmerized, as he sniffed the air and his mouth began to salivate. " Hungry... Soooo Hungry." He opened his mouth and she saw his pearly white teeth change to a mouthful 0f canine teeth as he lowered his mouth to the screaming Vampire's arm. Willow shouted out. " No Xander! Bad boy!" He turned his head and looked her in the eyes and she jumped back. " I'm not a dog Willow! But this son of a bitch bled me and I have to replace my energy!"Willow began to stutter. " Nnoo! If you start on this road you won't be coming back.... Do you think Buffy will have anything to do with a cannibal?" Xander growled and turned back to the injured Vampire. " Consider yourself lucky. " He gripped the Vamps head and twisted till it came of turning him to dust. Xander kicked the remains with his foot. " Something I've always wondered Will... Why do the clothes go up with the body?" Willow shrugged. " Don't know and I don't really care Xander just as long as it's dead." She linked her arm in his. " Now come on before they begin to worry."Xander started to come down from his adrenalin high and began to feel the wounds." Yeah we had better book before the blood attracts others." Willow was too happy that she had managed to stop Xander's darker side from overcoming him to realize what he had said .As they moved away Xander placed a hand to his lower back and came away damp with blood." Oh Joy!" THE MAGIC BOX. Dawn was arguing with Buffy as Willow and Xander entered. " We were supposed to talk to him not make him run away!" She frowned. " Now we'll never find out." Willow guided Xander back to his friends. " Look what I found." Buffy studied him. " Why didn't you just tell us Xander instead of being bottle it up guy?" Xander shrugged, and then winced as he forgot about his cut. " It was me it was happening to so I figured it was no one else's business but mine. However I realize I should have spoken up before now." Dawn nudged Buffy as the key nibbled on her nails. Buffy searched for the right words until Dawn blurted out. " So how come you're paying our bills?" Xander paled as he joked. " Yeah right Dawn! I'm really a multi millionaire living like this for my health."Buffy flips open Xander's bank statement and he paled. " Okay Mr. Trump explain how come this tells me different? And before you try to make up something I went to my bank manager today and he told me everything." Xander's stomach rumbled as his body demanded to have the energy it expended to repair the damage to it, be replaced. " Can we talk about this later? I'm really starving and..." Buffy strides over to him and pushed him into a chair. He fell back, striking his wound against the back. He growled like a scolded cat as Buffy nearly drove her finger through his chest. " You caused this trouble Harris and now you want to stuff your face? Well you can forget about it till you've answered our questions." He went red with anger. " You want the truth? Well here it is... I found out about your problems even if you didn't want to acknowledge them! I answered the phone call from the bank and couldn't understand what he was talking about till I found all the unopened mail from them. " Xander stood up and tried to calm down. " You two were one week from being thrown out on the street before I came to an arrangement with them. " Buffy's anger dissolved." Why? Why would you do that?" Xander started to weave, almost out on his feet. " You needed help and for once I had the means to do something about it .So I... " He staggered. " Did. " He straightened his clothes and looked at her. " Now if you've finished with the inquisition I'm going to get something to eat before I retire to my new digs." He turned and moved to leave when Dawn told him. " Do you want us to make up your usual bed on Giles's couch or would you prefer we rang the Y ?" He paused. " Since when did any of you care where I slept? " He opened the door and Buffy's words made him pause. " You have a room waiting for you at our place. " Xander turned and she shrugged. " You paid for it so you might as well live there as well." She saw Dawn smile and nod at her decision before continuing." Mom's room is there for you and I'm sure between the two of us we could cook you some dinner?" " I don't like the idea of accepting charity Buffy." Buffy shakes her head. " It's not charity Xand. Once again it's you're home now too Xander. You pay the bills so the least you could do is accept room and board." Xander swayed then gave up, motioning the way out." Okay I give in. I'm too tired and too damn hungry to argue anymore." Xander hoped in the Jeep and Dawn sat next to him." We can have Friday night movies again just like when ... You know." Xander placed an arm around her as Buffy drove off. " Yeah I know Dawn patrol I know."Dawn rested her head against his chest." It seems like forever since we had anything like a normal life at home." He strokes the top of her head and made comforting noises as he tried to conserve energy." It gets better Dawn. At least that's what they all say." He pulls her in tight as they pull up the drive. " The pain never leaves but it does get blocked out by happier times Dee." Buffy looks into the rear view mirror and smiles at the scene in the back then checked her image in the mirror, pursing her lips and replacing a few strands of stray hair. " Here we are Casa Del Summers." Dawn pipes up. " Casa Del Summers/Harris you mean." Dawn placed her arm around Xander and he hissed in pain but said nothing as they entered the house he hoped would soon be a home once more. Buffy threw the keys on to the hallway table. " Right first thing Dawn set the table while I get something from the freezer. " Dawn gave her a mock salute and Buffy saw the blood. " Dawn! How did you cut yourself?" Dawn looked at her hand. " I didn't... I..." She looked over at Xander as he almost collapsed against the wall. " I think its Xander's!" Buffy held Xander up as she quickly checked him over. Xander was on a different plain as she ran her hands over him and he looked at her face." Why Miss Summers! Please control yourself while there's a minor in the room." She found the deep gashes in his back. " There I knew it! " She eased him onto the couch. " Really Xander this stoic pose of yours will get you killed one day!" She took his shirt off and turned him on his side. " Dawn go and get the first aid kit from under the sink." Dawn hurried back with it and Buffy cleaned and disinfected his wounds before closing them with butterfly bandages. She helped him lie down and told Dawn. " Do you think you could make him some pasta or..." Dawn nods as she runs off into the kitchen. " Something with lots of energy in it I know sis." Buffy smiles as she watches her race out. " Jeez I think she has a real BIG crush on you now Xander." Buffy fluffs up a pillow and slips it behind his head. She doesn't notice her hand as it moves across his chest in circular motions. She hears Xander whisper something and leans in closer as he repeats it .He relaxes at her touch and tells her in a sleepy voice. " Pity it's the wrong sister." She watches her hand on his chest and her emotions start to build faster than she wanted. She leans in to tell him something but his eyes open as her mouth is close to his. They feel each other's breaths and Buffy whimpers. " Oh God!" As their lips brush. They feel an arc of electricity pass between them and their lips lock on to each other building in passion till she can feel her heart beats match each other then increase in spead with the passion of the kiss. Buffy's mouth slightly opens and she can feel his tongue run across her teeth begging for entry. She pulls back trying to catch her breath and exclaims. " Fuck It!" She places her hands either side of Xander's head and kisses him till nothing matters but the two of them.END OF THREE 


	4. OF SPIKES AND MEN

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 4 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 4AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory, with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral. SUMMER'S RESIDENCE Dawn walks into the lounge trying to brush the stain off her top with a dishcloth. " Dinner will be ready..." She stops and stares at the couple making out on the lounge. Her heart flutters as her teenage mind reels from what she sees. The man she's had a crush on from day one is in the throes of passion with her sister! The same one that basically ignored him from the first time she saw him was now trying to choke him with her tongue while her hands attempted to get to as much of his flesh as they could.Dawn coughed, and then coughed louder before shouting. " Hey! Do you mind stopping that?" She waved her arms around. " Jeez! There's an impressionable teenager here ya know! " She sees Buffy pull away from Xander and Dawn folds her arms in front of her chest." How could you? You knew I ... Had feelings for him!" She glares at Xander." And you! Well I thought you at least had some taste!" She storms off up the stairs shouting. " You're stupid dinners on the stupid table.. And I hope you both choke on it!" She slams the door and they can hear her stomping around her room. Buffy looks at Xander." Maybe we should take it slow ... Only until she gets used to the idea though! " She snuggles into his arms until she hears country and Western music blaring from Dawn's room. She looks up then sighs. " I'll go and talk to her." Xander grins until he sees the calendar and the days date " Jeez I wish I could cope a break just for once!" Xander stands up and goes to the telephone, dialing Giles's number.SPIKE'S LAIR. Spike circles the Slayer and he checks her from every possible angle before asking her. " Who do you love?" Buffy grins and looks at him. " Why my Spiky bear of course!" She grabs him and begins to kiss the unlife out of him. Spike has to use his vampire strength to get her lips away from his. " Calm down woman!" He looks over to the corner of his dank cave. " Listen sport I appreciate the effort and all that but could you tone her down just a smidgen?" The professor walks up to his creation and adjusts her passion controls from the servo in the base of her skull. " There you go Mr. Spike. I hope you like her sir?" Spike walks over to it and takes her in his arms kissing her passionately before breaking the kiss. Buffy frowns as he pulls away from her and she whimpers when she realizes that was all for now. " So doc ... She's ...ahh fully functional? Can she fight like the slayer? Does she act like the Slayer?" The 'Doc' nods and motions for him to try her out. " But you'll have to get someone else to fight her though. The programming she has won't let her damage you.. Unless you want her to." Spike nods." Then I guess we go hunting then ducks." He starts to walk out then stops. " Oh by the way do you know anything about removing government surplus chips? You know. " He knocks his knuckles on the doc's head. " The kind they place in a bad boys head?" "You mean the behavioral modification chip? No I've heard of some experiments with condemned prisoners but I have no idea of the routine. " He looks at Spikes head and asks. " You have such a chip implanted?" Spike nods. " Could you take a whack at getting it out?" The doctor thinks for a minute. " It would be a great challenge but what if I snip the wrong connector?" Spike shrugs." Then Buffy here would crush your skull wouldn't you pet?" Buffy giggles. " In a flash lover." Buffy and Spike go off into the night in search of a crash test dummy and as they search they see Willow and Tara trying to fight off a demon. Spike grins. " There you go darlin' knock yourself out lovey."Buffy grins and charges the demon and takes it down in no time. Willow runs up to her panting from her efforts. " Thank the gods you came in time Buff!" She frowns at her and shows her a broken nail. " Look! Look what it did to me. It damaged me and now Spiky will think I'm weak. " Willow looks confused." What? Anyway we may have found a way to stop Glory from opening the doorway to her realm. It means Dawn won't have to be sacrificed." She sees the confused look on her face. " Hello ... Earth to Buffy." " So Dawn's the key?" Buffy nods. " That's right I forgot, that demon must have hit me harder than I thought." She checks her watch. " Look I have to go so I'll see you in the morning 'kay?" Willow nods as she watches Buffy run off into the night. "Every year that girl gets weirder and weirder. " Tara stands next to her. " So did Buffy say anything? " She sees the blank look and tuts. " About her and Xander dummy."Willow slaps her head. " That's why she acting so strange. Having Xand as a boyfriend 'll do that to you." She hugs Tara. " Even more so now he's all like 'New and improved'Xander." Tara rests her head on Willows shoulder. " I bet their Alpo bill must be huge!" The two witches go off laughing as Spike watches them with Buffybot and grins." So it begins my love, so it begins." SUMMER'S RESIDENCE.Buffy knocks on Dawn's door and enters before the teenager can say no. " Dawn I know how you felt about Xander but he is twenty one and you're just 15. Could you imagine what Mom would have said about all this? " She sits by her side and the teenager turns away from her. " I know all about the age gap Buffy you don't have to keep on about it! I get enough ridicule from the kids at school about that and the friends I have. " She looks at Buffy. " The only people I know are a stuffy, old, overbearing magic shop owner. A couple of lesbian witches and a construction worker, oh and lets not forget the anemic looking guy that only hangs around at night!" Buffy feigns a frown. " You're right! We have to get you out more so you can include a couple of drug dealers and a few hookers in the mix." She pulls Dawn so she faces her. " Dawn, Xander loves you like a sister. He considered you as part of the inner family even after he found out you weren't my sister. But I don't think he ever saw you in a sexy teenage lover type way he's just not into doing time." Dawn suddenly smiles and Buffy becomes worried. " So if I like hang around till I'm 18 he would go for me?" She jumps up and hugs her then twirls around. "Two years six months and eleven days... " She stops in front of Buffy.".. Can you keep him warm for me till then?"Meanwhile Xander is talking to Giles. " Did you and Wills manage to find out anything Giles?" Giles sighs." We might have found something but I really need more people and more time to figure it out. I... I've asked Angel and his people to get here as soon as they can. They arrive tomorrow... You will be all right with that wont you?" Xander shakes his head." Yeah cool whatever...I think I may have found out more about my soldier side. My memories go back further than 'Nam." Giles asks him." How far back do they go? Korea? WW11?" "Ugh.... my earliest, and now strongest, memories go back to being a... Ugh Viking. And the knowledge is all mixing up inside my head G-Man." " Will you be all right?" Giles asks. " Yeah but I keep getting flashes of my last memory being on a long boat and lying in the middle of it surrounded by treasure as the boat slowly burns down around me." Giles coughs then tells him. " Well I can look into this as soon as Wesley comes in with Angel and the others. I'll get them started on Glory then look into your problem okay?" " Yeah-fine Giles just don't let anyone know about tomorrow! You know how freaked out they got when Buffy was supposed to die that first year." After a dinner fraught with hidden verbal mines Buffy and Xander decide to patrol to give Dawn time to get used to the idea of Xander and Buffy as a couple. They come upon another group of Vampires and , as the group splits up , they separate to give chase. When he finishes his party of five off Xander returns to find Buffy laying on the ground he turns her over and finds a pulse then lifts her up." Jeez Buff you have REALLY consider cutting down on those pancakes honey!" Ten minutes after he leaves to carry Buffy home another Buffy enters the clearing and checks her watch. " It shouldn't have taken him this long. " She begins to worry and starts off in search of him. Xander kicks at the front door and Giles opens it as Xander races Buffy into the house. " I don't know what happened Giles! We got separated and when I returned I found her like this!" He gently places her onto the lounge and stands back as Giles checks her out. He paces up and down like a caged beast before he growls." That's it! I'm going out there to find out what did this to her and make them wish they'd never been created." He gets as far as the front door when he hears Buffy cough and begin to stir." Thank God, Buffy! Are you all right?" She sits up and winces. " Just peachy Xand. What the hell happened?"He kneels by her side as Dawn enters the room. " Oh my God Buffy what happened?" Dawn now ran over to her sister and hugged her. Buffy made calming noises to her little sister and looked to the others. " Could we be alone for a while? It's a sister thing." Giles and Xander nodded and began to leave the room. However as Xander neared the door he began to relax and that was when the smell hit his sensitive nose. " Wait a minute...."Just then Willow and Tara met Buffy as she entered her street. Willow says hi then asks her. " Didn't you have blood on that top? " Buffy looks at her like she was mad. " No Wills why would I have blood on it?"Willow begins to get worried and she backs herself and Tara away from her. " Ugh... Because you ripped the head off a demon that was attacking us not half an hour ago."Buffy shakes her head. " Will, seriously, as I friend I have to tell you to stop smoking that stuff you two make I tell Ya you'll go blind one day." Tara tells her. " But it's true! We were coming by to tell you that we may have found a spell that will suck Glory back into her own dimension without leaving the door open for hell to be unleashed on earth when you saved us."Buffy thinks long and hard then she sneers. " Why do I have this idea Spike and a certain Professor of robotics have something to do with it?"Willow says. " Why would you think that?" Buffy points to her house and the sight of Spike, looking into a window, clapping his hands and jumping for joy.Xander stalks back into the room and sees Buffy with her hand over Dawn's mouth trying to force her to the front door. " Going for a walk Buff? Or should I say Spike?" The robot grips Dawn by the throat and warns them." One move towards me and the kid does a Linda Blair impression!" Xander backs of and sees Spike standing opposite the front window. Xander shrugs. " You want the little whiner take her! Maybe then Buffy and I can get some quality time! You know like..."Xander took a running jump through the window and landed on Spike. After a very brief struggle Xander holds Spike off the ground by the scruff of his neck." Tell your little toy to put the girl down or the last thing you see will be your feet as the rest of you turns to dust!"To make his point Xander squeezed Spike's neck till they could hear the cartilages pop in his neck.Spike squeaked. " Put the princess down Lovey." He sees Buffybot twist her head in confusion. " Come on pet the gigs up now, let her down gently and maybe we can leave with some dignity." Xander applied more pressure and Buffybot screamed at him throwing Dawn on top of him then joining her. She began to pummel Xander as Spike crawled out from the fight and sat by the trunk of the tree."That's right Buffy you keep dog boy busy while I get..." He sees a pair of scuffed runners and he follows the legs up to see. ".. Buffy! Boy am I glad to see you! It looks like lover boy is having a spat with your twin over there! Why don't you jerk!!!...."Buffy pulls him up till he's level with her face. " Okay spill! Just what stupid plan have you come up with now?" Before he can answer Willow shouts out to her." Buffy look!" Buffy turns to see Xander trying to stop Buffybot from hitting Dawn by blocking the punches with his body. She beats Spike within an inch of his unlife then throws him to the ground." When I've finished with the Stepford Slayer you had better not be in Sunnydale! Understand?" Spike nods then struggles to get up as the three Scooby's race over to help Xander. Spike tells Buffy's back as she runs to finish off his creation. " As soon as the prof has this damned chip out Slayer you and me are going to partay! As you damn Yanks say."END OF 4 


	5. ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TO NAUGHT

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 5 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 5AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season..6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory , with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral. SUMMER'S PLACE- THE NEXT DAY Xander tried not to wake Buffy as he eased his arm from around her waist and climbed out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom and quickly showered and changed before almost running downstairs. Buffy woke several minutes later to the sound of Xander's car driving off. She groped behind her for him then, when finding his side of the bed empty, she fully opened her eyes and frowned. As she turned over her hand brushed a piece of paper. She picked it up and, after yawning, she began to read it .As she read the words her frown turned to a large smile that, as she continued to read, deepened into a wide grin. She hugged the letter to her chest then placed it on the bedside table before beginning her daily routine.Xander left the bank clutching a thick manila envelope to his side as he walked down the main street. As he passed a shop window sign advertising an event caught his eye and he smiled.THE MAGIC BOX Even though Giles was Dawns official guardian since Joyce had passed away he felt that both the Summers girls were more like daughters than close friends and legal responsibilities. He was just finishing his research on Xander's dreams when the young man in question entered the store. Giles looked up and saw how the man in front of him had changed in the past five years from the irresponsible youth to the confident young man he was today. Xander nodded at him. " Good morning Giles." He placed the manila envelope on to the counter and Giles knew that the day he dreaded was dawning." Xander tells him. " It's all there, my worldly goods and chattels." Xander looked at his life in a paper sack and grinned. " I would never have dreamed in those early days that I would ever have so much!" Giles nodded and placed his hand over Xander's. "We'll find a way to stop it Xander! You don't know that your fate is set. Remember I thought Buffy's fate was set in stone when she went against the master yet she's still here." Xander smiles at his memories then turn to the research room. " I take it Wesley and the others arrived okay?" Giles walks him to the room. " Yes and we've found, thanks to Willow and Tara, that there is a way to send Glory back without any risk to the world."Meanwhile Buffy was pegging out the washing as Dawn walked out to her." Eew! Your hanging up Xander's boxers! It must be love." She hugged her sister then began to help her. " You know if we got a dryer we could cut down the work load. I'm sure Xander would..." Buffy glared at her as she took a peg from her mouth." Don't you even dare ask him Dawn! He's done enough for us don't you think?" " Why not? It's his clothes, as well you know. Besides I think if you asked him he'd buy you the moon!" Dawn turns as she hears the front door bell ring. " I wonder who that is?" Buffy checked her hair as they went to the door and opened it to find Cordelia Chase standing there with a wide grin on her face." Hello stranger. " She told her as they hugged. " Angel and Wesley are at the Box helping Giles research so I thought I'd catch up with my old sparing partner and see how she was."She looks over at Dawn. " Jeez Dawn you keep growing like this and I'll finally have some competition out there!" Dawn blushed and grimed. " Hello Cordelia I only wish I looked half as good as you do." Cordelia gave Dawn a peck on the cheek as she entered the house. Cordelia couldn't help feel the ghost of Joyce hovering around her daughters as she walked into the lounge and sat down. She watched as Buffy went into the kitchen to make coffee and thought she looked very.. Domesticated, but very happy.Buffy looked strangely quiet until Cordelia told her. " I hope Xander has his neck guard on today."Buffy feigns disinterest as she asks her. " Why Cordy? Please tell me why Xander needs a neck guard?"Cordelia looks like Buffy just got off the bus. " Duh! Faith is back in town and she's asked just about everyone if he's seeing anybody."Buffy begins to pick at her hair." Oh.. I knew the council had pulled some strings to get her released.. "" Yeah right!" Cordelia looked at Buffy. " She's on day release with orders not to leave LA! Yet here she is to help out… And look for an ex.. I'd say boyfriend but … Just what do you call a two hour stand?" Cordelia suddenly clutched her head and sank to the floor rolling in pain. " BUFFY!" Dawn cried out as Images flashed through Cordelia's mind. Images of horrible beasts as they ripped people into tiny morsels then ate them. These beings looked like a nightmare from some anthropologists fevered mind.She then saw the Scooby's fighting these beasts, and losing until five strangely attired men stood between them and beat the beasts off. She then sees Xander, he looks so strange until she realizes his face is scared and the light that used to shine from his eyes is dulled, and he stands between his men and the charging hoard. He raises a sword as the monsters attack and fights through them till he comes against the leader. Her vision begins to fade as she sees a bonfire being lit with a body laid out on top of it. She sees Buffy drop to her knees and cry her heart out. She came to lying on the couch with Buffy moping her head with a damp cloth." Thank God Cordy! What happened?" Cordelia sat up and asked for some pain killers for her headache." I have a present from the Powers that be. One I wish I could return like a bad dress!" She popped the pills and washed it down with a glass of water." I need to call Angel and tell him." As she waits for someone to answer the phone she asks Buffy. " I haven't seen Xander yet is he still looking fine?" Buffy blushed and Cordelia knew Angel was right." So he finally managed to catch you in a weak moment hey? Don't worry Buffy he won't stray from you!" Cordelia just had to have a dig. " Unless he gets Faith alone in a hotel room." THE MAGIC BOX. Wesley, Giles, Willow and Tara have prepared the things they need for the casting and are ready to go when Xander walks in. " Are you sure you wont need Buffy or Dawn?" Giles grinned and told him. " No Xander you take them to your surprise and have a good time, you all deserve it." They begin the chant as Angel places a small dagger in the center of the table. The chant echoes through the store and the dagger lifts up and glows a deep red until it becomes so bright no one can look at it. There is the sound of thunder then the dagger drops back to the table. Angel takes another knife and cuts the palm of his hand allowing the blood to drop onto the enchanted dagger. The blood hisses and boils as it touched the blade. Willow picks it up and kisses the hilt. " It is done!" She places it in its sheath and hands it to Angel. " This must be thrust into her heart just as she commences the ceremony for only then will the door open and send her to hell!" Angel places the sheathed knife at his side. " And the door will close before any little surprises can come out?" Faith nodded." It's supposed to swing one way then close, but this being the Hellmouth we had better prepare for the worse. " She turns to Giles. " We need to make sure that Dawn is safe and as far away from Glory when she starts the ball rolling." Giles nods." But won't she need her before she starts the ritual?" " Not if we start it for her. Then she will be drawn to the site by its power and the thought of bringing her realm here." Willow stands up and starts to walk to the storeroom. " In the mean time Xander wants me to finish our little reprogramming project." She opens the door and they see the Buffybot with her scalp open and leads running into it. SUMMER'S RESIDENCE. Cordelia is feeling much better as the sound of the front door opens once again and Xander enters beaming at them all. " Hello Cordelia long time no see." He hugs her and then pecks her lips with his." Okay Buffy, Dawn, go put on some nice clothes. Better make them warm ones."He holds up three tickets and Buffy needs to look at them twice before she grins and hugs him. " Xander! How did you get these?" She exclaimed. " Oh I know some people who knew somebody." Cordelia looks at the tickets and is impressed. " Wow front row seats to Icecapades cool! Since when did you like ice skating Xander?" " Since my roommate told us several years ago that she did. I've just been waiting for them to return." Xander thought for a brief while and then asked her. " If you like I could ring..." Cordelia shook her head. " No Xand, as much as I'd like too this is just between you, Buffy and Dawn and I know what it would be like to be the fifth wheel."Just then the phone rang and Buffy answered it then handed it to Cordelia. " It's Wesley for you. "" Hi Wes, yeah,, yup, uhhuh, no worries catch Ya later." She places the phone down and tells Buffy. " The council has decided to stick their oar in again Buffy. They're sending the Knights of Byzantium to assist you. They will be under Giles's control so there will be no repeat of the last time." Dawn backed up and Xander held her. " Look kiddo there's no way in hell we're going to let either Glory or these overgrown boy scouts hurt you! Do you believe me? " Dawn looked into his eyes the fear making her heart beat double time. " Are you sure? Do you promise?" Xander hugged her and proclaimed. " They'll get to you or my family over my dead body Dawnster." Later the next day Buffy is snuggled down next to Xander and she begins to stroke his cheek. She sees his brow furrow as he sleeps then he gasps. " No. I said no!" At first Buffy thought he was awake and meant her but when she sat up she saw he was in what her professors called REM sleep, or dream sleep. He suddenly clutched his chest as he relived the Host's vision for him, then bolt upright his eyes wide open and his breath coming in short sharp pants. " No! Buffy!" Buffy hugged him to her and he jumped in shock then he saw who it was and kissed her. " It's okay Xander it was just a bad dream. Shh I'm here it's okay. " She crooned to him as she stroked his hair and patted his back. Xander kissed the nape of her neck then whispered." I need you Buffy!" She brought his lips to hers. " Never leave me Xander?" " Not if I can help it my love. " Xander kissed her then moved against her bringing them to the heights of passion. His arm reaches out to the bedside draw and the protection there in but Buffy's hand stops him.He looks into her eyes and she tells him. " I want to start a family of our own. Do you?" He smiles and places his hand behind her head. " Only with you my love and no other." He draws her in to a kiss as they begin to make love for earnest a first time for either of them.There's sex and then there's love. The choice they both made that day was to share their love in the hope of creating life. Life that would be a permanent joining of the two bodies by creating a third. One to share their joys and sorrows, to be a constant reminder to each of them of the love they have for each other and the hope of a better tomorrow. This act whether sanctioned by god or man, or consecrated by church or state, bound their very souls as they created a new life for a new soul to inhabit. In this they were successful. In this they would fulfill a destiny only to pave the way for a final destiny that Xander knew was fast approaching.END OF 5


	6. COME GET SOME

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 6 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HO

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 6AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory, with a flashback at the beginning to events after Joyce's funeral. MIDDAYThe group are gathered in the ruins of Sunnydale high. Buffy brushes her hands together to get the dust from her hands. " Boy I just love this place!" " Really? Cuz I couldn't stand it when it was just a school and now it's the focus point for every big bad Wanna be I like it even less!" Xander exclaims. Buffy puts on a fake French accent. " Not be afraid. I protect you." She points to herself. " Me the Fifth element."Xander grabs her hips and holds her close looking at her body. " Yeah sure you've put on some weight but it looks good on you. " Buffy's mouth opens wide as she slaps his arm causing him to yelp." Hey! I said element! Not elephant! I thought it was your favourites movie and I. Mmmm." Xander quietens her with a kiss and as they break it she wraps her arms around his neck." However you can stop me babbling by doing that every time." She grins at him then turns as Dawn says." Oh puhlease! Would you two take a chill pill? It took me ages to wake you up this morning and you kept up the lovey dovey all day so can we just cool it till you get home, assuming we all make it through this?" Xander smiles his lopsided grin then stops as he looks into the darkness. " Company." Six knights of Byzantium stride out from the edges of the parkland that lies alongside the old school. The tall leader walks up to Buffy and holds out his hand." You have zee key?" Buffy nods and motions for Dawn to go with them. It'll be fine Dawn." She tells her as they hug. " As soon as it's all over I'll go straight to The Box to get you. " They hug again and Buffy tells the Knights. " If you cause any harm to her I will hunt you down and rip your hearts out." One of the leaders whispers something to him and he looks at Xander. He looks him up and down then sneers at him. " You are zis White Knight? Pah! I have zeen ztronger children."Xander looks him, unblinkingly, in the eye. " Hurt any of them and I'll hit you so hard your ancestors will feel the pain! " The leader started to move closer and Xander's eyes went wild as he muttered. " Come get some!" Buffy pushes them apart and tells them. " Okay boys I think you two have had one too many sips from the testosterone cup! Now back off. " She points to the Knights. " And you. Just remember what we said. And that as soon as we've dealt with Glory we will be back to collect my sister."Dawn waves to them as the Knights take her away. Xander puts his arm around her and gives her a squeeze. " Don't worry nothing's going to happen to her Buff. Come on we better get suited up for our joust with Glory."As the knights move out of sight of them the second in command asks the leader. " Do you know the way to this shop is back there?" " We're taking her to a safer place for us and the world Manfred." He slips him a knife. " As soon as we are out of hearing we will take her to the gateway and then back to our home. Then the priests can put an end to her danger for once and all." Manfred is shocked. " But what of your oath to them?" The leader pulls him close and glares at him. " An oath to what? A Slayer and her knight that will die this day? Pah you're getting weak in your old age."LATER.They're ruse had worked and Glory had been fooled into coming to the centre of power believing the key had been used to open the doorway. The battle was nearing it's end when a sudden reversal of Glory's kick struck Buffy in the chest sending her crashing into a tree several feet away and then backhanded Faith so hard she thought her head would fly off. Xander roared and charged Glory using all his force against her He grabbed one arm while Giles and Wesley secured the other and the two witches chanted their spell. Angel had the cursed dagger in the down swing when she broke from Wesley and Giles and struck Xander in the chest. He held on to her arms and urged Angel on. " Do it Deadboy! Do it quick!" Angel brought the dagger down chanting the words as he did. The blade struck true and she cursed their names as she vanished into the swirling vortex they had opened. Xander fell to his knees as Angel shouted." Close it now!" The vortex closed in on itself and the world was safe yet again thanks to the band of brothers and sisters. Angel went over to Faith and helped her up." She played rough. " Faith exclaims. " I miss her already. " She grins and they go to check on the others. Faith limped over to Buffy and went to pull her to her feet. Buffy yelled out as she discovered her arm was broken. " That skank broke my freaking arm!" Xander stood up as Willow and Cordelia helped him up and he checked himself over. Apart from the tight feeling across his chest every time he breathed. Then he stopped. " I'm breathing!" He looked at Buffy as she staggered over to him. " I'm alive!!! " He turned to Angel and Giles fisting his arm into the air, punctuating each word. " IN YOUR EYE HOST!" He ran to Buffy and helped them with her as they moved back to the Box. He kissed her with all his heart. " We won Buff. We won." She grinned inanely at him. " I know Xand I was kind of there."Willow, Wesley, Cordelia and Angel were pleased. Wesley stated. " Well that's another one down and on da ground!" Angel grinned at him. " Whoa Wes! I think you've been hanging with Gunn to long." " Yes but we didn't loose anyone Angel! We're here and she not! I'd say that was an upside wouldn't you?" Cordelia watches as the others went into the shop. " Yeah but it's not over till the weight challenged lady sings. "They arrive to find the Slayer trying to gather weapons with her one good arm. Willow sees Xander putting on his arm shields and she asks. " Where's Dawn?" Xander looks over to Buffy. " Stay here you're hurt Faith and I can handle them." Buffy shakes her head. " No they took my sister and I aim to get her back." Giles tells them." The Knights have taken Dawn I believe they'll try to take her back with them via the Gate to their home." Giles tells Angel. " Talk to her. In her condition the knights will kill her!" Buffy cries out to Giles. " I'll need your Sword Giles." Xander tells her. " I'll get it." She smiles at him till she sees a look of resignation pass over him and he raises a dart gun and fires it at her." Sorry my love... And my life." Xander eases her to the floor and tells Giles. " Get your sword for me and one for the others. " He turns to Willow, Tara and Cordelia. " You three stay here and guard her." He kisses Willow with a passion she has never felt. " Give that to her when she wakes and tell her... Tell her I'll watch down on her from time to time." Willow begins to tear up as she tells him. "No! You'll be back! The host was wrong! You will be back Alexander Lavelle Harris. Do you hear me?" She shouts as he leaves. " Buffy loves you!"THE PARK. Manfred was worried as he paced the ground in front of the site of the gate. " It should have opened a half hour ago!" Urnst looked at the struggling 15 year old and thought evil thoughts about her." Relax it takez time to create a ztable gate Manfred. Besides who'z goink to rezcue her? " He licks his lips. " Bezidez I might just have a little fun while ve vait." He gets up and moves towards Dawn as Manfred distractedly asks him. " What? What are you talking about?"He turns and sees him standing over the key after he hit her. He begins to loosen his belt as Dawn tells him. " You touch me and my sister will be wearing them for ear rings you freak!"Manfred yells at him." Urnst! What in Gods name are you doing?" He brushes his complaint aside." She's not human so it doesn't count Manfred, bezidez she vill be dead vithin de hour anyway. Zis way she gets a tazte unt zo do I."Xander makes it to the rise just in front of the others. Wesley sees them and gulps." I thought you said there was six?" They look down on the fifteen knights as they prepare to cross. Xander shrugs. " That's how many we saw but six or sixty six they're not taking her anywhere!"Giles tells him. " There's a way to end this without everyone dying. " If Angel were to challenge them as Buffy's knight errant he could defeat their champion and earn Dawn's release."Xander growls as he begins to release his pent up beast. He shakes his head and takes the sword from his sheath. He glares at Angel " Who am I?"Giles looks confused." uh Alexander Harris?" Angel sighs. " He's Buffy's White Knight." He grips Xander's shoulders. " But that doesn't mean you can win." Xander shrugs. " I know I met your friend the Host. " he looks around their faces as if trying to burn their images into his mind one last time." When you get back tell him Xander says 'Up yours'." He grips Angel's arm and shakes it then grasps Giles in a hug. " Take care of her for me." Giles's voice almost breaks. " Yes.. I will my son." At the use of that word Xander nods. " I hope, the next time, I am worthy of someone like you to call father."Faith grins at him as he rubs her arm. " What you're not going to try and stop me" Xander asks her but she shakes her head" Nah! Kick his ass! But I warn you if it gets hairy down there and you make me break a nail getting' your ass out of the fire I'll do you instead!"He grins at her then kisses her before he walks off into the night and calls out." Here me oh Knights Templars I challenge thee by the right's of old." Urnst stops his attempted rape of Dawn and shouts out to the man." By vhat right do you challenge?" " I challenge thee as The Slayer's Knight!" END OF 6


	7. THE CHALLENGE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 7 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOW

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 7AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season..6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with Glory ,. THE CHALLENGE Xander strides into the centre of the encampment." What kind of a knight molests a child? What kind of knight abuses his power?" He looks to each and every one of them." Your order has disgraced our lord and God and I am here to punish you." He sees the way they look down, knowing of the wrongs they did in God's name. Urnst yells to him. " Bah! Enough of dis! You challenged us and now you will meet our champion." He turns and calls out. " Lars... Lars Olafson we have a new toy for you to play vid!" A giant of a man moves forward and takes his place in a ring of shields." Come my yung vrend your death avaits you." Wesley sees the giant and gasps. " Good god! Where's a hunting rifle when you need one." he turns to Giles. " Can Xander take him?" Giles is sat with his back to the scene and he shrugs." The Host said not." Faith takes her sword out. " Fuck the Host! " She starts to move down but Angel stops her. " If we interfere they will kill them anyway!" Faith looks down at his hand and then into his eyes. " You maybe allgoody two shoesnow Angel, and you think you'll get another crack at B. But if you don't take your paws off me you'll see Darla again real soon!" Giles tells her. " Faith wait till we know he's in trouble before you do anything.. Rash okay?" Faith looks at Giles's back and tells him. " The minute thing's look funky I'm down there!" Angel looks at Giles. " If he's going to die for us the least we can do is watch." Angel sees the look of disgust pass over Giles. " That way if we see a way around it he may not have to die." Xander taps his sword against his shielded arm and is followed, in kind, by Lars and then they begin to fight to the death. The larger man has power behind his blows but Xander has the knowledge of the 'Soldier' and the strength of the Hyena spirit to aid him. For each strike Lars makes Xander lands three and it is soon easy to see that Xander will win. Giles is amazed. " He's going to win? He's going to WIN!" He stands up and joins the others as they watch Xander strike the giant behind his knee forcing him to the ground then knocking the sword from his hand. Xander raises his sword but before he strikes he asks Lars. " Do you yield?" Lars looks to Urnst who shakes his head mouthing NO. Lars bows his head and tells Xander. " On my honour I cannot yield." Xander shrugs. " This isn't necessary Urnst. I've won so there's no need to kill him." Manfred tells Urnst." Listen to him! He's offering you a way out with honour!"But Urnst is unmoved; Xander lowers his sword then charges at Urnst placing the tip of the sword at his throat. " Tell everyone to cool down Ernie!" Urnst pales at how easily this man got through his men and he motions for them to back off. " Good boy now Dawn? I think your sister is looking for you so I'd run along if I were you." She stands over by Xander and glares at Urnst. " You're scum! Do you know that? You're supposed to protect and serve God's people not rape and abuse." Xander turns and looks at Dawns dress as she speaks. He goes red with rage. " Dawn, Giles and the others are just over there by the stand of trees. Do you see them?" She nods and Xander turns to Urnst." Right, now she's going to go to them and if any of you make a move towards her old Ernie here is going to be about a head shorter do you understand?" Dawn starts to leave then she says. " Aren't you coming?" He smiles at her. " Go on I'll be along soon enough. " He turns to look at Urnst. " Me and Ernie need to talk about a few things." Dawn runs off and Urnst glares at him. " As soon as you releaze me you are dead!"Xander shrugs." I've had a good life. Besides it was for sawn that I would fall today. At least I get to take a piece of crap like you out with me!" Dawn makes it to the others and Giles hugs her." You gave us such a scare Dawn." He sees Angel growl." No! You bastards!" And they all turn to look but Faith begins to run down to Xander's aid. Urnst waits till Xander watches Dawn make it to the hill top and hug Giles then he nods to one of his men armed with a cross bow. Xander hears the twang of it's release mechanism too late and he feels a punch to his back followed by a shortness of breath. His Hyena spirit takes over and he beheads Urnst then turnsto take on the others. His face a mottled red as spit and blood spew from his mouth. Faith fights her way to his side but is too late as the remainder of Urnst's guard beat him to the ground. Dawn screams and then shouts. " NO!" As they try to drag her away and to the safer sanctuary of Giles's shop. The last she sees of him is as his sword is kicked from his hand." Come on Dawn we have to get you away before they realise we're gone." Manfred uses men loyal to him to try and bring the others to heel. Faith is standing over Xander's body , her face a mask of pain as her wounds begin to grow. " STOP! STOP THIS NOW I COMMAND YOU!" The kicks and strikes end as sanity begins to reign. Manfred walks towards a swaying Faith with his arms held out wide and empty, she uses what energy she has left to raise her sword. Manfred tells her. "There has been enough death here today Slayer Faith." He kneels in front of her as he checks Xander over then calls for healers as the gate forms. He orders Xander taken through to where he may have a chance with the healers on the other side. Faith nods and lowers her sword following Xander's broken and bleeding body through the gate.Manfred then picks up the bloody and broken sword then hands it to one of the heralds, a young boy of twelve, along with a small squashed coin that fell from a chain around Xander's neck. He tells the boy." Take them to the Slayer and tell her.. Tell her He showed us the meaning of honour and it is a lesson we will never forget. Also tell her if the others fight as hard as him that I believe the key is safer with her than anywhere else on earth." He pauses at the child warriors look of anguish. " Stay with her till we return and learn of honour and service in our lord's name my son and if you should become half the man this Knight was I will be forever proud of you."Manfred follows the others through the gate as the boy tells him." I will father I promise." THE MAGIC BOX.Willow and Cordelia look up as the others troop in after Dawn come racing through the door. Willow smiles at her then her smile vanishes as Wesley shuts the door behind him. Her eyes begin to mist up as she looks, questioningly to Giles and hears Dawns soul wrenching cries of angst. She places a fist to her mouth to try and stop the scream she feels building in her soul as Giles shakes his head. Tara hugs her to her breast as her lover cries for her childhood friend the tears beginning to flow down her own face as she to releases her grief. Cordelia simply shakes her head. " No! It can't happen like that! He wasn't going to die! I had a vision and it wasn't for years to come! We had time to change it's outcome." She saw Buffy as She stirred and felt Dawn sobbing uncontrollably at her side. She opened and closed her mouth then licked her lips before croaking. " Okay where is that idiot? If he thinks he can get away with darting me I'll..." Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the scene and searches frantically for any sign of Xander. When she doesn't see him she starts to get up." Xander? Xander where are you? Come on stop playing games Xand.... Xand? XANDER!!!!" She looks to Giles and Angel and she sees a tear roll down Angel's cheek. Angel places a hand to it and is amazed to see it's a normal tear. He looks to Cordy and Wesley before placing two fingers to his pulse point. " Oh my god!" He cried out. " I have a heartbeat!" But his joy was subdued as he saw Buffy collapse into the chair as she realised Xander was gone. She cried no tears and didn't pull a single hair from her head, but all the feelingsin her died with Xander. She blankly looked up as others tried to comfort her. She didn't move until Dawn gripped her like death and sobbed into her shoulder. No one noticed the small boy as he opened the door and entered the shop. Angel was the first to see him and he stood in front of him scanning the road behind him for signs of any others. The boy spoke with a slight accent." I come from the Knights of Byzantium to beg the Slayer leave to speak." Buffy went white. " Get out! Never mention those bastards in my presence again!"But the boy did not move. "You have a right to be angry mistress Slayer but the man that caused his ... Injuries died by your knights own hand. My father has punished the others and he has ordered to me to tell you this. " He stood a little straighter than before as he repeated his fathers words and presented her with the hilt of Xander's sword and the squashed coin. Buffy leaves it to Giles to take them off of him but Dawn takes the coin. " I remember when he told me about the twin he had for a short while." She held the coin up. " He said this was his lucky coin and that you could almost see the presidents head stretched making him look like a cone head." She rubbed the coin her eyes betrayed her vision by crying again. She smiled through her tears and showed Buffy. " Look you can still see it." The boy looked at the two females and spoke his fathers words.".... He showed us the meaning of honour and it is a lesson we will never forget. Also tell her if the others fight as hard as him that I believe the key is safer with her than anywhere else on earth. He also bade me stay with you to learn the meaning of honour and loyalty unto death. " The boy kneels at her feet. " I do forswear that I will do these things and await my father's return." Buffy looks at him then looks to Giles. " I want to go home, to go home and sleep in our bed not to awake till morning and find my lover asleep by my side, safe and alive."Giles takes Buffy and Dawn to her home along with Willow and Tara but Cordelia keeps telling Wesley. " But I saw him in my vision. He was older, changed, somehow but he was alive!" She stands and straightens up, infused with a new goal." We must prepare for his return. For I believe it will be after the Hellmouth opens and we need him the most!" END OF 7 


	8. THE MAGIC BOX

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 8 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOW

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 8AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE MAGIC BOXIt had been two months since Xander's death and Faith's disappearance. With the victory over Glory overshadowed by the death of her lover Sunnydale sank back into it's routine of 'normal' violence. The odd Vampire or demon had shown up and was quickly illuminated by the combined forces of the Scooby's and the LA Gang. Wesley had told Giles that someone should return to LA to aid Gunn and the others in their battle to keep LA free of night crawlers. Giles, Cordelia and Angel stood by him as he entered the cab. Cordelia tells him. " Now don't forget to tell Dennis to feed my fish and water the plants while I'm gone? And tell him I miss him." She hugs him the wipes away a tear." Don't forget to research about the next opening of this Hellmouth. I know it all ties in with His return."Wesley looks her in the eye and sighs. " Cordy it's natural for you to refuse to believe he's gone. You loved him. Hell you probably still do, but you have to let him go."Cordelia touches her head and grins." You're forgetting my little gift from Doyle. I saw him." She shuts her eyes and concentrates." He's wearing a strange black uniform and has a scar." She draws her finger down from her right temple down to the corner of her mouth." It kinda makes him look sexy. But he's terribly pale Faith tells him to go back and the rest of them will take care of the Wendol but he shakes his head and then kisses Buffy before he moves forward."Wesley and Giles both begin thinking at the mention of the Wendol. Giles says. " I think I've heard of the Wendol." Wesley nods. " Yes there was a report shortly before I left England that they had been sighted shortly before the outbreak of war in the Urals." He checks his watch. " It's too early to check my sources at the Council but I will get onto them as soon as I can."Angel tells them as Wesley drives off." I know of the Wendol and if they've been seen that means there's enough of them that they don't care anymore." The three move inside and sit as Angel tells them. " It was when I was first turned and we left the master Darla and I did a 'tour ' of Europe until we hit the area the Wendol ruled. " he shook his head." Let me tell you we booked our Asses out of there quick smart. These things are like the evil version of the energizer Bunny!" Usal escorted Buffy from the training room and heard the name. " I too know of the Wendol."Giles turned to see him holding Dawns hand as he guided the Summers sisters to their chairs. " Please we may need all the help we can." " The knights have a record of encountering them on three separate occasions." He tries to think back to his studies. " It's all a bit fuzzy but if you want to know I could always contact them?" Buffy glowered at him. " I want nothing to do with them! As far as I'm concerned they don't exist!" She suddenly cupped a hand over her mouth and raced for the toilet. " Damn!" Dawn tells them. " She's been like that most mornings for the past week now. Is it some kind of Slayer thing?" Cordelia lets the information sink in then asks Usal. " So how soon can you contact the Knights?" " My father calls me every Tuesday at 9 so I could ask him tonight. " " Ask him about Faith too. It seems strange she vanished with the knights and yet we've heard nothing from her. " Angel asks him. THE PATROL. Buffy walked through the Cemetery with her head bowed watching her feet shuffle through another night in Sunnydale's un-dead zone. Two vamps walked up to her. " Hello there. Don't you know it's not safe to walk here at night?" Buffy looked up at them. " My advice to you would be to run as fast as you can?" She moved into her stance and pulled out a stake. " You really have to be totally stupid to pick me tonight!" The two undead make their move on her and Buffy takes out all her frustration on them before she drives the stake into their hearts. She looks up at the sound of clapping. Spike walks into the pool of light. " Nice moves princess." Buffy wipes away a tear and tells him. " I told you to leave Spike!" He looks sad. " I did pet but then I heard Xander..." His voice broke at the mention of his name. " I knew you would be hurting so I thought I'd offer my condolences and a shoulder to cry on. First Angel then Riley, Joyce and now Xander. You've lost a lot of loved ones Buff. " He held out his arms as he comforted her. " Shh. Don't cry my love Spike's here." He felt her sob into his chest and he planted a kiss on her head. " Let it all out my love." He stroked her hair and moved it from around her neck. " I offered you my love before and I still offer it now. Unconditional and un ending. " " I'm sorry Spike I can't. We can still be friends though." Buffy feels him nibble on her ear and she felt a passion rise in her and burn as he kissed her pulse point. " Never mind. If I can't have you in life you WILL love me in death. " He vamped out and sank his fangs into her neck before she could react.THE MAGIC BOX. Usal hangs up the phone and looks at the others as they hang on his every word. " My father says he will fax you all the information they have on the Wendol but at the moment the Knights have to deal with the Hellmouth in Tunguska. It's reopening." Giles panics. " The Tunguska Hellmouth has reopened?" Willow and Tara look at each other before Willow asks. " Wasn't that where the meteor crashed at the turn of the century?" Giles nodded. " That's what the authorities came up with after the Council and the Knights closed it. The spell they used released the power of several nuclear bombs." Usal told them. " The Knights lost many of their best warriors that day." He touched the medallion around his neck. " They stayed to make sure no demons escaped. Fifty five men died when the spell was released and their names live on in our hearts." He turned to Angel and told him. " Faith is with the Knights." Dawn pushed her chair back. " What! After what they did she's working with them!" Usal shrugged. " She joined them to help close the Hellmouth. Apparently she finds our ways closer to hers than yours." Buffy walks into the research room looking happier than they had seen her for a while. Dawn walks up to her and asks. " So what did he say?" She began to get worried. " Buffy? What did the doctor say about you being ill?" " He said it would pass in a few weeks and that it was quiet normal for a woman in her first trimester." It takes a few seconds for it to sink in then Willow says. " Your first trimester. Ugh Buffy that means. " Buffy looks at her and nods. " Xander and I created a new life before he.. Left." She hugged Dawn. " All this death and grieving and yet a new life will be born in seven months." She rubs her stomach. " A little bundle of joy for when Xander comes back." Giles tries to be diplomatic and tells her. " I'm more than pleased for you and will do anything I can to help you. But both you and Cordelia have to realize from what I saw that night, there was no way he could have survived." Buffy's joy was shortas his words crashed through her images of a happy family life.

Just then a dust covered Buffy came into the closed shop, she had a hand clasped to her neck as milky white fluid leaked from the two small holes in there. " What happened?" Giles asked. "Freaking Spike!" She sat down and Willow checked the wound as the Buffybot went into shut down mode." He came out of nowhere all 'SNAGy' on me telling me how he was sad that all these bad things had happened to me then he started the whole seducto mode on my ass! Just as it was working the bastard bit me!" " I bet he got a shock!" Dawn asked her. " Yeah Baby!" She dropped Mr.Pointy onto the table. " Hence the dusty duds." Willow tells them. " Well her self sealing system should have the holes repaired soon and then it's just a matter of topping her up with..." She saw the look on their faces. " Right you don't want to know." She tells Giles. " She'll be ready to patrol again tomorrow." SAINT AUGUSTINES CATHEDRAL. Quentin Travers sat next to Josiah Clarke, the head of the Knights Council, as five new members took their knightly vows and joined the order of Byzantium. Quinten shakes his hand. " I'm glad we have rejoined after 100 years of separation my old friend." Josiah nods and looks at the raven-haired female as she was handed her spurs." Yes and now we have a Slayer amongst our ranks." Quentin mutters under his breath. " Hope you have better luck than we did!" Before remarking. " Yes, Faith was one of our better Slayers. Just remember she's a loaner." Quentin sees the next knight present himself and several current members cheer him on. He stares at the mans face and tries to place him. " I swear I've seen him somewhere before... Who is he?" The man rises from his knees after the pages have placed the spurs on his boots. Josiah grins. "His old name no one knows, not even he,. All we know is he was mortally wounded and our healers had to use the old magic's to bring him back. What we do know, from his actions since, is that he will be our greatest knight! He has taken the name Beowulf after one of our knights of legend." The knight turns and winks at Faith , who grins back at him, then brushes his long dark hair from his face. Quentin sees a scar running from his right temple to the corner of his mouth. " Damn! " Quentin exclaims. " I know him ... But from where?" END OF 8


	9. TIME HEALS ALL WOUNDS..NOT!

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 9 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOW

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 9AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GlorySUNNYDALE -ONE YEAR LATER. Giles is at the counter of Buffy's kitchen trying to sip some tea when he hears ' The Child' as he calls it, begin to cry again. He looks at his tea through sleep deprived eyes then stares at the percolator. He places the cup to his lips but then tips it out when Buffy yells out for Dawn. " After six years of living over here I think this calls for something a little stronger!" He refills the cup with black coffee then sips it. He grimaces then says. " Oh yeah that hits the spot." Dawn comes in holding her nose with one hand while using a pair of tongs to hold the diaper away from her." Most people use disposable ones but oh no not her majesty! Damn Willow and her environment kick!" She drops the cotton diaper into it's bucket then slams the lid down. She sees Giles and glares at him. " I notice Willow the wicked witch of the west didn't hang around too long!"Giles, hurriedly, finishes his coffee and pours some more. " She had important work to complete."Dawn huffs at him. " Sure she does! I suppose it's slipped your mind, you being so old and all, but she's never around when the stink machine needs changing?"Giles looks offended. " I'm sure it's just a coincidence that she... " Buffy cries out for another nappy and Dawn hands it to Giles who takes it then looks up at the ceiling before muttering. " Willow must DIE!" TUNGUSKA WILDERNESS. Beowulf slaps a medii Pac onto Faith's wound as the truck takes them back to the encampment. He tucks a curl of her dark locks behind her ear and she stirs. " Xander?" She mutters." I defiantly shouldn't have kicked your ass out of bed!" The med-tech places a cool pack against her brow as Beowulf smiles. " I don't know who this Xandar is Slayer Faith but I am heartily relieved the rumours about you are untrue!" Faith moans then tells him. " Damn straight Wolfie! This girl's totally stick shift only...." She falls back into a deep sleep and the med-tech tells him. " She'll be fine Beowulf. The Slayer healing should kick in now." The man then looks back at the pillar of fire that is all that remains of the Tunguska Hellmouth. " I don't think that'll open up again too soon!" He exclaims before looking at Beowulf with pride. " You did it sir!" Beowulf looks up at him. " No my friend we did it. All those that perished back there did it. I just came up with a plan." " Yeah but you were the key guy sir!" As the tech said those words they echoed through Beowulf's mind until he had a vision of a blonde haired girl tell him. " So you're the key guy Xander it all depends on you. Are you up for it?"Then he hears Manfred call out to him as the truck pulls up." You did it Beowulf! They thought you were dead and had the pyre ship waiting for your body!" Beowulf steps down and slaps Manfred on the back." Not this time old friend! But Slayer Faith is injured and requires the Healers charmed hands." Manfred watches as they carry her away. " A near thing but at least the Hellmouth is closed."Beowulf slams his hand down on the truck. " Yes but the Damn Wendol Queen escaped yet again!" He kicks at the snow surrounding the wheel. " She tricked me! She sacrificed most of her warriors so she, and a few of her best, could escape into the Hellmouth." Manfred nods. " A great pity the Queen whore escaped Beowulf but to where? She's now trapped in the netherworlds until another Hellmouth can open and now there is but one left." SUNNYDALE. Giles checks his watch and looks out into the dawn of a new day. He shakes his head and tells Willow." She should have been back hours ago Willow." Willow lifts Giles's hand up and looks at his watch before letting it fall." She was programmed to finish her patrol then return at Dawn but maybe she had a little trouble along the way? Or maybe some of Xander's program..." She broke off at the mention of his name. " I still feel that any second now he's going to come bounding round a corner with his hands full of jellied donuts." She feels Giles grip her hand. " When does the pain go away Giles?" He looks at her and says. " It never really does. Everyday just seems a little better than the last until you can live again." She feels Tara snuggle up to her from behind." He's not gone you know." Willow's brow creases in bewilderment." As long as we think of them and keep a little of them in our hearts no one ever really dies."Willow smiles and pats Tara's hand." Buffy want's us all to be at the park tomorrow." She notices the sun begin to rise. " Today for the ceremony." Giles asks her. " She's letting go then?" Willow hears the two sisters begin to move upstairs. " No I think it's more to do with getting on with life. After all, she has Dawn and little Joyce to worry about now." Giles checks his watch as the Buffy bot comes running down the street. He taps it and she waves him off. " She stands by Willow and tells Giles. " Those that can, slay those that can't stay at home taping their watches! I've had no sign of Vampires or other nasties since I dusted Spike's ass. You want to try patrolling the whole of this freaking town by yourself...." Giles rubs his neck. " Thank you for that Willow. One of them is quite enough. " He taps the androids head and asks. " Do you think you could tone down her ugh..."? " Smart assyness?" Dawn finishes as she walks into the kitchen. " Ooh! If you can, could you try it on her majesty as well?" Willow is checking the android over and she asks. " Is it still on for the ceremony?" The smile vanishes from Dawns face. " Yeah midday at the park. "She looks at her hands. " You know if I had of just let that asshole do what he wanted...""NO!" They all turn to see Buffy standing in the doorway. " Don't even think that Dawn. It's not your fault, it's those bastard Knights! They broke an oath and killed a good man before they realised the wrong they were doing." They hug each other and Dawn tells her as she looks at Giles. " I don't care what they say sis I still feel it deep down in my soul that he's still alive and that one day he will walk through those doors and demand his Twinkies." Buffy smiles then pretends to frown." Well he had better come up with a damned good excuse for being gone so long or he'll never get another Twinkie from me!" Tara whispers to Willow. " Should we tell them about the spirit guide we found yesterday?" Willow shakes her head and says." No we'll wait till she returns with an answer tonight, then tell the others what she found." END OF 9


	10. THE COMING STORM

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE COMING STORM.It was another morning in Sunnydale and as the town began to wake from a peaceful nights rest Giles waited at the Magic Box for the Buffy bot to return from it's nightly patrol of the Hellmouth. He smiled as he realized how much easier this Buffy was when compared to it's real life counterpart." You know one could get used to this. You just wind her up and set her off then when she finishes you turn her off before she becomes too annoying." Willow arrived with a cup of Starbucks coffee for Giles along with a Danish. " So any sign of our girl yet?" She asked as she handed over his ritual morning coffee.He checked the clock as the sun rose and told him she should be back by now." I think we may need to search this time Willow." Willow nods then says. " Buffy looked better yesterday... At the ceremony I mean." Giles nods." They do say that time heals all wounds but I fear the way he went... Without her being able to see him one last time or say their farewells has affected her deeper than I would have thought possible." Willow places a hand on his. " It's called closure Giles. And I'm pretty sure it's something we all need." She looked off into the distance. " He was the heart and no he's gone I think the heart has gone out of us all." She looks at her coffee. " Tara and I ... We want to leave before we loose someone else." Giles nods. " Well with things so quiet and nothing coming up in the Codex you would be fools not to." He looks at her. " I'm sure Buffy and Dawn would understand." " Yes but would he?" Her eyes begin to mist up at the memories of her childhood friend come flooding back. "Willow, he would be the last person to want you to stay if you don't wish to." He checks his watch. " Come on we'll have a search for her then I'll help you break the news to everyone else."They started out at the last cemetery on Buffy's tour and worked backwards until they came across the wreckage of several cars. They searched for any signs of survivors but found none and when they went to check the nearby houses they found them vacant as well. Vacant that is except for one house that backed onto the old High school. Willow came running out and threw up into the bushes while Giles checked the remaining rooms. He came out carrying Mr. Pointy and cursing the night." Well we don't need to look for Buffy any more." Willow sucked in some fresh morning air before she asked him. " Were they all like the ones we found in the front?" Giles nodded as he knelt to examine a foot print in the soft soil." Yes I counted over twenty bodies, not including the Buffy bots, and all had their heads removed." He measured the indentations then took a small camera from his pocket and photographed it. Willow looked very pale as she tugged on his jacket. " We should get out of here before the police arrive." But Giles points to two patrol cars parked haphazardly behind her. " They already know." Willow and Giles make their way to the cars and find all the electric circuits melted. Giles picks up an empty pistol as Willow tells him. " All the electrics are fried in both cars." He holds up the gun and points to the spent cartridges scattered on the ground. " It looks like a small war happened here." She turns to him. " What could do this?" THE MAGIC BOX.Buffy throws a severed hand onto the table and Angel picks it up. " This is no boating accident." He examines it then sniffs it. " It's also not human." Usal tells them. " The Wendol have arrived." He places the body part back on the table. " We should inform both the council and the Knights of this." Buffy takes her child in her arms and shakes her head. " We tell them nothing! I'll not let those assholes set foot on the same soil Xander walked on!"Giles asks. " Where did you find it?" " Next to the headless body of a cop. It looked like he shot it off with a riot gun that looked more like a pretzel." She stroked Joyce's back as she walked her up and down the store.Cordelia makes a face at the hand. " From the way everyone was talking I'd have thought the police would have called in for support all ready." Giles rubs the bridge of his nose. " Dear God not the Initiative again!" Usal begs Buffy." Slayer Buffy please hear me out." He stands up." I beg you by all that I hold dear, please let me inform my father before it's too late. Having read the journals you too must surely know that once these creatures get a foothold they are almost impossible to defeat!" The gang hears the doorbell's jingle and Tara enters the shop followed by several men in black. " I think it may be too late all ready." She tells them as a familiar person enters the room. " Hello Buff. Long time no see." " Hello Riley. You're looking better."Buffy tells him as she moves Joyce to a better position.He looks at the baby and grins. " I see you've been busy too." " Yes WE have Riley. I hope you got over your...Addiction?" He rolls up his sleeves and shows her. " Right after I left here I found there was no longer a need. " He smiles at the baby. " So who's the lucky guy?" He nods at Angel, surprised to see him standing in the daylight that spilled into the room. He puts two and two together and comes up with Angel. " So Angel I see you got over your fear of daylight." Dawn glares at Riley. " If you must know it's Xander's and my best advice to you is not to make some smart assed remark or there are several people in this room that would take great joy in ripping you a new..""DAWN!" Buffy warns her sister." That's okay Buff. I'm sorry about Xander. I heard it on the grape vine. " He stares at the floor." I always knew he'd end up with you but I always thought it would be for ever." Buffy's eyes begin to mist over. " So did we but the fates decided otherwise." She wipes her eyes then asks. " So to what do we owe the honor of your presence?"Riley shrugs. " We needed all the info we could get on these creatures and Giles was the best source I knew of." Giles tries to hide a grin before telling him. " Well at the moment our only source comes from the Knights and well.... They want to know what's going on and we were just deciding whether to tell them." Riley realizes the one they were arguing with would have to have been Buffy. " Look Buffy I know it must be hard for you to ask for help from the very people that killed Xander..." Willow and Tara speak at the same time. " He isn't.." Tara bows to Willow and she grips her hand. " He isn't dead. At least our spirit guide can't find his soul amongst the dead. She's searching the un-dead and possessed before searching this realm." She moves to Buffy. " I was going to tell you sooner but things got way out of hand." Buffy is almost white the color draining from her." So if he's not dead then."Usal looks confused. " But if he didn't die then why didn't my father tell me." " And why didn't he come back to me...Us?" Buffy asksWillow shrugs then Tara tells her. " There are some older forms of healing magic's that may have certain side effects. Loss of memories prior to the bodies death and rebirth are not uncommon." Buffy sits and hugs her daughter. " So he may live but have no memory of Me.." She kisses the babies crown. Tara nods. " But our guide will know more by tonight." Riley tells them. " By now the Mayor is telling everyone that there's a toxic gas leak and that the town has to be evacuated for everyone's safety so we can at least cut down the number of potential casualties." CASTLE OF THE KNIGHTS.Faith is starting to recover from her wounds thanks too Beowulf's ministrations and her slayer powers." She grins at him as she sees him begin to nod off in a chair. " Not keeping you up am I wolfie?" She moistens her lips with her tongue. " Though there's nothing I wouldn't give to try!" Beowulf grunts awake then looks over at her and the way she looks at him jolts his memory. He sees her in a cheap room as she strips off and begins to undress him. He turns bright red." Good to see you finally woke up! I was tempted to let them bury you and be done with it!" She begins to sit up but grimaces and he growls at her. " If you break open your wounds so help me I.." He stops running his hand down her bare back as he checks her wounds, realizing she might be embarrassed about letting a male see her naked form he stops. " I'll get one of the females to...." She places a hand on his chest. " Really Beowulf! You may not remember that night but I sure as hell do and you didn't miss seeing anything the last time!" He slumps down into the chair and holds his head. " I remember flashes of us together but.... It's all so hazy." She grins and peels the blanket down from her chest." Don't worry as soon as the stitches come out I'll steer Ya round the curves again!" Before he can say anything he sees a ghost like apparition appear at the foot of her bed. His mind tells him he knows her but he cannot remember her until she speaks." Hello Alexander there's a lot of people very worried about you." He tilts his head and is about to ask her who she is when the door bursts open breaking the spiritual connection. A page rushes in." Sir Beowulf come quickly to the main hall Lord Manfred wishes to speak with you urgently!"Beowulf shakes his head to clear it of the vision before motioning the boy out. " I'll be back Slayer Faith." SUNNYDALE.It was almost dark by the time the government troops had the main hall secured and the remaining people guarded within. Giles is reading the sheets of information that Manfred had faxed him when Buffy sits next to him. " Just how did the government know to have all this ready in time Giles? I think there's something they're not telling us." He looks up from his studies. " I just hope all this is enough to hold them off." He whispers to her." I haven't read all of it but it seems that these Wendol are almost invincible! It took so much manpower and killed so many of the combined forces that it sent the western world into the dark ages!" Willow kneels next to Buffy. " Joyce is awake again Buff and I don't think she likes this place." Willow glances around her. " Not that I like it too much myself!" She sees the look Giles gives her. " Oh it's not just me Tara, Cordy and Angel are freaking out too!" The group turns to the sound of a snort. " We have the place surrounded by the best men in the military supported by the most modern equipment your tax dollars can buy. We got infra red, ultra violet, sound, movement in fact every type of detector there is and they're coupled up to automated defense systems the likes of which only James Cameron could dream up." Buffy glares at him. " And your point is?" He grins nervously. " So how come when you're supernatural friends say they got a bad feeling about this place I get the shakes?" They hear a thump, then a whine and the lights flare up then flicker out. Willow says. " God I just hate it when I'm right!" END OF 10 


	11. THE RETURN

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 11 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 11AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: [sh01@bigpond.com.au][1]

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE UNIVERCITY. Riley exclaims. " Damn! I hate this town!" He slips the radio from his belt and it begins to glow with heat." Shit!" He drops it and they watch it melt. Willow picks it up with a pair of tongs and places it on a bench then cracks it open. She looks at Buffy. " The circuitry is fried just like the cop cars." Riley calls Graham over." Tell the guys to stay frosty and keep their eyes peeled...." He cocks his head then Angel tells him. " Gunfire from the west." He turns."And now the east. They're boxing us in." Riley slams his hand on the bench. " There are still over three thousand people left here that we couldn't get out before dark." Graham shrugs and pats his gun. " Yeah but we have the weapons and the men in place to protect them and the men are damned good!" Cordy snorts at him." Yeah and a minute ago we were in the 21st Century and now we don't even have lights or power brainiac!" Graham bridles at her insult. " Yeah well those guys out there seem to be handling the sitch pretty damn well!"Buffy steps in between them. " Just chill out you two! All we have to do is hold out till daylight and then we can get these people out of here and then we take the fight to the Wendol." A state trooper runs up to the group and tells Riley. " There's fire in the east, and it's a big one!" Usal tells them. " And so it begins." He glares at Buffy. " I told you to tell the Knights before it was too late but you had to let your hatred of them get in the way!" He stands and looks at her with disgust. " And now the world may end because of you!" THE KNIGHT'S HEADQUATERS. Faith is sitting up in bed rotating her shoulder and trying to convince the Healers that she is fine as Beowulf strides in. She looks up at him. " Would you tell these dweebs that I'm 5x5?" She pulls on a tank top and gets out of bed." If Ispend one more day cooped up in here I'll go ballistic!" Beowulf looks at the Healers and motions them out of the room. " Faith the Hellmouth at Sunnydale has opened and the council has lost all contact with their observers there." He places a hand on her shoulder. " I know you had friends there and I thought you needed to know as soon as I did." She looked at him and had to fight the urge to tell him he had friends there also but she remembered what the healers had told her about the effect it would have on him. The last thing they needed now was for their best hope of closing the Hellmouth to freak out and shut down!" We'll get them out and shut it down again Wolfie."He smiles and runs his fingers down her cheek then the look he gets in his eyes heats her very soul before he kisses her. As they break apart he tells her. " I have wanted to do that, and more from the first day I saw you." She places her hand on his lips and fights to control herself. * Just how long has it been? And would B ever forgive me if I did what every fibre in my body longs to do? * She thinks to herself. She moves away from him and he looks hurt." When we have won my love, if you still feel the same I will do whatever your soul desires." She limps over to her gear and begins to slip it on. " But for now we have a Hellmouth to close and friends to save." He watches her dress and fights to keep both sides of his body in control. The Hyena smells the odour of a mate while his soldier side just wants to screw something before going into battle. He growls and tells her. " I'll join you in the main hall." Faith grins as she pulls on her trousers." Horny much?" SUNNYDALE -EARLY AM. Riley steps outside into the morning light and moves up to one of his men. "Anything?"The soldier shakes his head. " Nothing from the east since the firing stopped but it's been pretty sporadic from the west. " The soldier glances sideways at him. " The other guys will be all right won't they? I mean there's nothing these baby's can't stop." He pats his modern day wonder and grins nervously. Riley tries to comfort him. " Of course they are Jones. The reason they stopped shooting is because there's nothing left alive to shoot at. We should be pissed at those guys for cutting us out of the fun!" Buffy has just finished feeding Joyce as he walks in. " So GI JOE what's really going on?"Riley shakes his head. " I have no idea Buffy. But as soon as there's enough light I'm going to send out a search party while the rest escort the people out of Sunnydale." He makes sure no one else can hear him then tells her. " Before we left the council had convinced Washington that they had to place some kind of magic shield around the Hellmouth that would stop anything from getting out. The only problem with that is if we delay to long we'll be trapped inside the shield along with these things." Buffy begins to become angry. She looks up at the sky and says. " Just when are they supposed to be doing this?" He places a hand on Joyce's head and smiles. " Not till tomorrow Buff so don't worry about it. You'll be safe in some hotel by then. I have to go and set things up we'll talk more later okay?" She nods and watches him walk away. " Is it possible Giles? Can they create a shield around the Hellmouth and if so why didn't they do it before now!" Joyce snuggles down into Buffy's chest and promptly falls asleep. Giles rests his head in his hands then curses and stands up. " As soon as it's light enough I'll check the books with Willow, Tara and Cordy. Angel can stay here with you to help." ONE POLICE PLAZA. -SAFE HOUSE 2.Riley moves into the demolished building hot on the heels of his scouts to find the remains of both his men and the people they were guarding piled in the centre. One of his men begins throwing up in the corner as his second in command tells him. " Some of the bodies have been gnawed on. It's the same scene at Safe house 3, everyone dead with their heads missing." Riley nods then tells them. " Yeah we had better get the hell out of Dodge before they seal this place up!" He motions to his men. " Let's mount up and move this mobile feast out of here!" After a twenty minute forced march they come across the others camped just inside the town limits. He angrily raises his arms. " What the fuck are you waiting for Graham an engraved invitation?" He sees Buffy and the others talking in their own clique. " Get these people out of the zone now!" Graham stops Riley from going any further and picks up a large rock then throws it past the YOU ARE NOW LEAVING SUNNYDALE sign. Riley jumps back as it explodes against an unseen barrier. " What the... The Shield! " Riley kicks the sign. " Those assholes put it up to soon!" Giles tells him. " I don't think this is the councils doing Mr.Finn.I'm inclined to think it's the Wendol spell." He walks away from his group and over to Riley. " It's a bit of a coincidence that the power went leaving the three camps vulnerable to night attack and now this don't you think?" Riley swears then checks his watch. " We better get back to the safe house and see what we can do about defending it." One of the troopers shouts out. " Defending it! Did you not see what those things did to Police headquarters? That place was built like freaking fort Knox and they still got them!" Riley holds his hands up towards the angry crowd. " Now we only need to hold out for a little while. Before we left we got word that the Council was sending in a crack squad to deal with these things." He looks at Usal. " Apparently these guys kicked their Asses out of one hell hole and sealed the breach so there's no reason to doubt they wont do the same here." The crowd calmed down then they all moved as fast as they could back to the secured area. When they arrived the soldiers began, with the help of the civilians, to erect barricades and fortifications to help defend their last hope. The Scooby's meanwhile were trying to find a solution to their current dilemma when Tara stiffened. " She's returned."The group looked into the corner and moved towards the swirling vortex as a distorted apparition appeared." Did you find him?" Willow asked. The spirit nodded." He is amongst the living but is barely on this plain. "The spirit solidifies and Buffy fights to hold back a scream. " MOM!" Joyce smiles at her. " Did you think death would separate my love for you and your friends my dear? " Buffy can smell her mother's favourite perfume and feels her hand brush against her hair. " I found him my dear but his soul cries out for freedom." She turns to the others. " All he has left is the spirits that possessed his mortal body. Spirit of the Hyena and of the warrior now controls his mortal remains." Buffy feels like her world is crashing down around her ears as Joyce continues. " He has no memory of this place or of his friends. " She smiles at Buffy. " Or lovers. But his soul is so very strong! " She begins to flicker. " I must hurry my time is short. Know that he comes with men of old to battle evil even older than time itself." She looks at Buffy then Dawn and lastly little Joyce cradled in its mother's bosom. " Know also I will always look down upon you from above and be so very proud of my children and grandchildren." Buffy begins weeping. " I love you mom... Mommy please stay." " Hush my golden child. My time has passed and yours is yet to be but I will return ... I will always return...As....Will..... Heeeeee...." The spirit fades and Buffy tries to claw at the mist as it evaporates into the air. Cordy wipes a tear and then says. " We should prepare Giles. I need to see you and the Wiccan warriors." Willow watches as Angel and Dawn comfort Buffy as Cordelia tells them. " I had another vision and this one was a three Tylenol alarmer. " She looks over at Buffy. " We need to produce an antidote for a venom that the Wendol Mother produces."Giles looks bewildered. " How can we do that when we don't even know what beast it is?" Cordelia looks back at Buffy. " Because unless we do in two days time Xander will die from it's toxins and with him our last hope of defeating these creatures!" END OF 11 

   [1]: mailto:sh01@bigpond.com.au



	12. BEOWULF

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 12 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 12AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season.6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GlorySUNNYDALE UNIVERCITY. Riley watched as the remaining population of Sunnydale helped his men build up the defences of the main hall while Graham and the others set up forward point defence positions. Graham finally came up to him. " Well that's about as good as we can do with what we've got Riley." Riley checks the sun and says. " We've got about three hours till sundown you had better get the men fed and settled in for a fight." As Graham walked away Riley thought about all the other battles he had been in and none of them felt as doomed as this one. Buffy was feeding Joyce in the training room while the others were trying to work on several magic creations. Willow and Giles had found a legend about a Slayer being attacked by the Wendol Queen and surviving by a potion created by her watcher. They had all the ingredients they needed but were unsure about it's being able to work on Xander given his strange mixture of being human and possessed. Willow is finishing explaining all this as Buffy stands just out of sight. She hears Willow say." But we have to remember that this is for a Slayer it may not even work on a normal person." Cordelia smiles. " Believe me Willow Xander was never normal!" She goes over and holds up a green liquid that almost appeared alive in its movements." So we give this to him and he becomes immune to her poison?" Giles shakes his head. " No I'm afraid it's not that easy. The poison has to be in his system before we can introduce the anti-toxin or it may just kill him faster than the toxin alone!" Angel asks Cordy. " So Cordy just when does all this happen? " Cordy shudders. " Tonight a great battle will occur, then in the morning Xander and six others will set of to kill the Mother Wendol. Upon his return he will begin to die of the poison from her bite." Buffy makes a noise and enters the room. " I was just thinking Giles maybe we should take all the swords and bladed weapons we can back to the safe house? I mean the other camps had modern weapons and yet they fell." Giles nods." Yes point taken Buffy. Angel would you help me with the trunk?"Buffy places Joyce in her carry crib and tucks her in before saying. " So do you remember how to swing a sword Cordelia?" Cordy snorts. " Duh! 2 years fighting demons in LA! I should hope so." As Cordy moves over to the baby Buffy grips her arm. " Thanks for all the help and for wanting to help Xander." Cordelia smiles and tells her. " I couldn't do any less for either of you Buffy. Besides maybe, when this is all over, he'll get of my back about the damn prom dress!" Willow and Tara are grinning as they present Buffy with several leather pouches. " Gee thanks guys I always uhh. What are they?" Willow starts hyperventilating. " Remember that sun spell I was working on and Anya ruined? You know the Troll!" Buffy nods as Willow points to the pouches. " Tada! Six pouches represent six suns all you have to do is undo the laces then throw it up and bingo! Instant daylight. " Buffy places them in her backpack. " Great work girls! Now all we have to do is hike over to USC and get settled in before dusk."USC SUNNYDALE - DUSK. Riley orders the main doors locked and bolted, while he and the defenders remain outside in the defence points. He turns to Buffy and asks. " I'm surprised you're not with your baby." Buffy peers out into the night." She's inside with Cordelia and the other Scooby's. They're our last line of defence." Riley looks out then checks his gun. " I didn't mean to hurt you Buff. I just felt like I didn't fit in like I did with the army." Buffy shrugs. " That's all in the past Riley. But because of your leaving I found something wonderful and it took his loss for me to realize I lost all that time ignoring him when I could have been with him all along." She looks at him. " And that's the one and only regret I will take to my grave." Riley is about to reply when they hear horns blowing in the distance. " It's Showtime!" Buffy tells him as she brings up her sword. Riley shakes his head." Buffy this is the 21st century not the 1st." He flicks the gun from safe to fire and looks out into the night.Giles and the others are by the main doors ready to swing them open to let the defenders in when they hear the outer defences open up. " Well it's begun." Giles tells Willow. " I sure hope the cavalry gets here on time!" She tells him with a nervous smile.Riley points his gun at movement along the wire." I give my right arm for a flashlight that works!" Buffy smiles and takes out one of the pouches and undoes the laces. " You owe Willow and Tara an arm for this!" She throws the bag as high and as hard as she can and suddenly the night skylights up like a new dawn exposing the gruesome scene in front of them. The sight of the Wendol, as they went about slaughtering the defenders and taking heads as trophies, sickened the main force to their stomaches. They watched as several of the outer guard posts fired their weapons at the Wendol. The were beasts just jerked as the projectiles hit them before moving forward to take the head of the mortal that dared fight against it. Riley was stunned by the ease in which the enemy pushed aside their defences." We're screwed!" One of the defenders exclaimed and Riley nodded in agreement. Suddenly the monsters were inside the defences proper and they fought for their very lives. Giles quickly opened the doors to the pounding and screams, Buffy and only seven of the defenders stormed in and shut the doors. They dragged anything they could find to secure the doors as they heard the howls and inhumane screams from outside." Is everyone in the fallout shelter?" Buffy asked. Giles nods." Yes and we told them not to open the doors no matter what they heard until we gave them the coded knock." They all jumped back as the doors reverberated to the beasts pounding. Riley threw the useless gun aside and searched for another weapon. Giles handed him a sword and Riley grinned as Giles said. " Welcome to the first century." Riley told his men to pick a position and defend themselves as the doors began to give in to the pressure from outside." Giles you and Willow had better go down to the bomb shelter and wait for the all clear." Giles begins to protest then nods and the two make their way to the stairs and down. Suddenly the building resonated to a high-pitched noise and the ground shuddered. " What the hell is that?" A bright flash could be seen leaking through the cracks around the door followed by human voice shouting. " NO PRISONERS! NO PRISONERS!" The pressure relaxed on the door and they heard the sounds of animalistic screams then a woman's voice telling them. " I hope you know your back doors open!" Buffy looked startled " Faith?" She was answered. " B is that you? Check you're back! You've got company!" Buffy turned and heard the sound of gunfire followed by a scream that was cut short. " Crap!" She hears Faith's voice cry out. " Take their heads! Anything else is foreplay!" Buffy and Riley edged forward searching for any Wendol that had managed to get in .Willow and Giles opened the doors to the shelter and made their way out after hearing the noise of battle quieten down outside." Tara lock this behind us until you hear the coded knock." He shuts the door and they wait till they hear the lock click into place. Giles shifts the sword from hand to hand in nervous anticipation. Suddenly a dark haired knight came down the stairs and Giles looked at her with faint recognition. " Faith?" She reached the bottom of the stairs. " In the flesh G-Man. So what's the what?" Willow was almost hyper as she answered. " Well there's the Wendol thing but I guess you know that, and the other thing is are we safe?" Faith grins. " About as safe as you can get in this town." She looks around " Why didn't you guys just leave?" Giles shakes his head. " Would that we could. There's a barrier surrounding Sunnydale and nothing gets in or out!" Faith turns around. " What? The council told us it was days off!" Willow stops walking and tells her." We don't think it's the Councils doing. We.. Giles thinks it could be the Wendol." Faith looked bemused. " Now why would the Wendol want you lot?" She started walking then stopped." Wait how many females are here?" Willow shrugged. " Maybe thirty, why?" " Maybe nothing but I'll run it by Beowulf." She sees a giant of a man in the same style of uniform as Faith and Willow walks behind Faith. " Lars is it all clear?" " Yes Slayer Faith we have chased the Wendol back into the tree line. Beowulf and the assault team made short work of their point beasts and drove off the main assault." Lars grinned. " He beat them again!" His voice filled with pride. " Beowulf knows them like no other." " Yes Lars he's the best thing since sliced bread. " Faith shakes her head as he begins to assemble the teams for roll call. The Wendol have been driven away and now it was clean up time. Willow asks Faith. " Why did you stay with them after they murdered Xander? Did you hate him that much?" Faith turned and the look in her eye scared the witch more than any beast ever could. " Do you honestly think for a second I would stay with them if they had?" She hears the horns of the Wendol far off in the distance." What of the other sites? How many females there?" " There were about the same as here but they were massacred yesterday." Faith looks sickened. " But we were told you hadn't seen any sign of them yet?" She looks back into the woods as the horn grows farther away." And the females?" Faith raises a hand to shield her eyes from the morning sun as she looked off into the trees." Were they all accounted for?" " I don't know why?" Faith shakes her head. " How else do you think these guys breed? Magic?" She flips the headless body of a Wendol over and the putrid stench makes Willow gag. She holds her nose." You mean they mate with humans?" Suddenly a voice is heard over the whinnying of a horse. " Just the females thank Odin." Faith grins and turns to the knight as he slides down from his stead." Yeah I have been meaning to see the ACLU about that women's rights and all that." Willow steps back asthe knight brushes past her and examines the body. " Young, no more than 15 moons old." He looks at the claws. " Bah! Barely out of diapers!" He picks up some dirt and runs it through his hand. " Why send your youngest warriors against a fortified position unless." He stands up and looks to the tree line. Faith begins to speak and he holds a hand up then sniffs the air. " We're being watched! " Willow places her hand over her eyes and looks to the forest. " Little sister would you lower your hand and walk towards Faith?" As she does two Wendol drop from the nearby trees and charge the black knight. He draws his sword from his scabbard and beheads the first one before it gets too close, then guts the second one. He kneels on the beast's chest and stares into its eyes. " Speak to me and I'll make it quick.. Why?" The creatures voice is deep and distorted. " You ask why? Pah! Ask yourself why." It made to bite the knights leg but the knight severed it's head .He stood up and wiped his sword as several people approached. He looked at them before removing his head gear." Which of you commands here?" Beowulf began to tie his long hair back behind his head and Willow gasped. " Oh my god it's..." Buffy almost choked on her greeting as the dark haired knight looked at her with his chocolate brown eyes. She had to force the word out of her Soul." Xander?" END OF 12


	13. A TIME TO LOVE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 13 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 13AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE TRAP IS SET. Beowulf cocks his head, as he smells the scent of his mate. He looks confusedly from Faith to the blonde girl before he asks. " You are a Slayer?"Buffy now looks confused. " Xander it's me Buffy. Please tell me you know me?" " Would that I could Slayer Buffy but I know you not." He bows then turns to Faith. " We must build the defenses higher and better. And send Torrance to the highest point and tell him to stay alert. " He looks at the blond and the redheaded girl. " Warn him if he so much as thinks about the females I'll kick him so hard he'll have to take his helmet of to pi... relieve himself." Faith grins and tells him." No need to fear Beowulf I think he knows after the last time." She holds his hand and Beowulf draws her close and runs a hand through her hair. " Would that we were alone." Faith smiles then notices the death glare from Buffy. She looks puzzled then moves off to do her duties. Buffy turns Beowulf. " No listen Xander I've had just about enough of this as I'm going to take!" Beowulf shakes his head. " Who the hell is this Xandar? " Buffy remembered something from their past and smiled as she lent into him." If you're nice I promise not to hit you over the head with a desk this time." She held her neck to his face and whispered. " That's not fear you can smell Xander this time it's pure 100% love!" Beowulf's mind was jolted with visions of chasing this girl and pinning her to the floor before kissing her. He shook his head and told her. " Enough of your magic! I have work to do before nightfall!" He stormed off and Buffy had thought all was lost until he stopped and watched Dawn as she ran up to Buffy. He places a hand to his cheek and a finger followed the scar down to his lip. She was sure he was about to ask Dawn something but another knight began to talk to him. Dawn looks at Buffy's face as she watches the dark knight walk away. " Who was that Buffy?" She sees the way the knight walks and an image of Xander pops into her head. She looks aghast at Buffy. " My god! How can it be?" She turns towards the shelter." I don't know but I think some one else does!"MAIN LOUNGE. Faith is filling in the Initiative personnel in the fine art of battling the Wendol. When she finishes she says. " I wondered how long it would take you to get up the nerve." She turns and finds Buffy standing there glaring at Faith." Well if I waited for you to come to me we'd all be a long time dead!" Faith made to move away but Buffy slapped the wall just in front of her. " Why?" Her looks change, softens, " Why didn't you send a message or find some other way to let us know?" Faith looks at her. " Why should I? Hmm? You and you're so called friends!" She made to move away then stopped. " I was told how you all treated him! Even when he was hurting you all ignored him and know you want me to give you a second chance to kill him only this time maybe forever!" Buffy was about to carry on when Dawn walked up to her carrying a crying Joyce. " Buffy I think she wants you. " Buffy cradled her baby and, gently, rocked her from side to side making baby noises at her. Faith grinned. " So someone finally got you." She looks, enviously, at the scene." I'm glad one of us got the chance to have the whole deal B. So who's the lucky guy Angel or Riley?" Buffy looks Faith in the eye." Xander." She moves the baby to a more comfortable position as she falls asleep. " Only he was taken from us before he knew I was pregnant." She almost begs Faith. " Can't you see why we ... I need him back?" " I'm sorry... I didn't know." She grins at her. " Kinda happens when you're out of the loop for 5-10 ya know." She looks at the baby then tells her. " I'll try my best but be warned the Healers told me if he remembers too much his body will go into shock. Something about the soul remembering the death of the body and going into shock." Buffy nodded. " We'll take it easy and one step at a time I promise." Faith checks her watch. " I have to go..." Faith turns so Buffy can't see the tear forming in her eyes. Buffy grips her arm. " Faith... Thanks for this and everything you can do to help."" Aw it'll be 5x5 B just wait and see." Faith shrugs. " First of all we have to deal with the uglies out there but Wolfie... I suppose I better stop calling him that know, Xander has kicked they're ass before and he will again. No one's else can even come close to defeating them." Beowulf tests the defenses and shakes his head. " This'll never hold!" He looks at the building they are to defend. " I want all the sandbags you have." He walks over to the main doors." I want a redoubt here about eight feet high with steps inside. We keep the bulk of our men in here and fall back by numbers. Then when the Wendol try to scale the redoubt." Riley grins. " They pop their heads up over the top and surprise! One more corpse." Lars nods. " I told you he's good!" Graham tells them. " The men are beat! And you expect them to build this before dark?" Beowulf nods and places his hand on Graham's shoulder. " Keep them well fed and working hard! It'll take their minds off the coming battle. But no alcohol till after the battle okay?" " Yeah Graham just remember Beer Bad." Riley and Graham begin laughing but suddenly other memories come flooding into Beowulf's head...... No more beer for Buffy! Beer Bad Buffy ... Time to say bye." The golden haired girl waves her hand. " Bye!" Then she staggers out......He's in a room with her and she tells him. " MMM... Boy smell nice." She sniffs his neck and he has to fight the urge to push her on the bed and... " Hey! " Riley snaps his fingers. " Sorry but for a moment it looked like you were zoning out on us." Beowulf grins. " Sorry it's just you guys could bore G-man to sleep. " He stops and looks funny. " Who or what is a G-man?" He shakes his head. " Never mind... Lack of sleep I guess." Graham leans in and asks. " Should we tell Buffy he's starting to get flashes of memory?" Riley whispers to him. " Yeah but I just hope he stays like this till after he defeats the Wendol and we're all safe and sound." TOP OF THE MAIN BUILDING. Beowulf is standing with Angel as they scan the tree lines until Angel asks him. " So I guess you must know these creatures pretty well.. The way you deal with them I mean. " Now Angel could see him up close he knew Beowulf was Xander and he also knew he had to do something to get him back with Buffy. Angel had moved on from her but he still wanted her to lead a happy life. Beowulf shrugged and told him. " When we were told they had been seen near the Tunguska Hellmouth I decided to study up on everything we had on them. Then after a few battles I had them pegged down and the Knights deferred to me on them." He grins." After our first victory they treated me like a homecoming hero."Angel shook his head. " Why do you still doubt yourself? You are the only person I know of to have defeated the Wendol! That is not a small thing to do." Beowulf looks from the tree line to Angel." There are a lot of people that would argue with you Angel. We lost a lot of people forcing the Wendol back into the Hellmouth then sealing it. If I had done my job properly you, and your people, wouldn't be in this situation."Angel turns him around and motions around him. " This is not your fault Harris! Those creatures killed your men and attacked this place not you! You saved far more people than died and if I know you then the bulk of these people will owe you their lives at the end of the day!" Angel sees he's starting to crack the thin veneer holding back Xander's memories. " I remember once you had to threaten to kill me unless I took you to an enemies liar to save the woman we both loved. She loved me then as she loves you now but I know she longs for your return more than life itself!" Beowulf has a flashback of facing down this man in a hospital as he defended his injured mate. Only the girl wasn't his mate then." He shakes his head in confusion. " All this is interfering with my line of thought. But I promise you ,if we survive, I will be asking you more about my past." Beowulf looks around the green and pleasant University grounds. " It seems a nice place to live, to leave all the killing and settle down to live my remaining years in peace and solitude, a good woman at my side and children under foot." Angel nods then picks up on his off the cuff remark. " Remaining years? It is a nice place, once you get past the whole 'evil dead out there' things, but surely you must have a long time before your end?" " I wish I did my friend, there is much I wish to do but the healers have told me when they brought me back that they cannot create life but merely blow on it's embers to bring life back. " He grips the railing and looks down until he sees the woman he had been thinking of ever since his return. " There is so much I wish I had time to do but they say my life depends on what God returned me for. I fear once the Wendol are crushed and no more so will my purpose, and my life." Angel looked down and saw who Xander was looking at and smiled before the sound of a distant horn reminded him of their situation. " Have you thought on why they let us survive?" Beowulf shook his head and yawned then stretched." No I've been occupied with the defenses. Have you?" Angel nodded." What if they knew you would come if they attacked here? What if they could trap and butcher you and your men here?" " Then they would have someone else take our places." " No! You are the only one to have defeated them. To bring you down would instill a sense of invincibility in them that would encourage them to try and retake this world." Angel grips his shoulders. " You are the reason they attacked! It's your head they want on a pole as they kill and pillage this world!"END OF 13


	14. DEATH OF A VIKING

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 14 

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 14AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryDEATH OF A VIKING Angel's words, and his own shattered memories, haunted Xander as he made his way down to the forward defences. Maybe Angel was right, maybe the Wendol were after his unit and his head! Buffy and Dawn walked up to him, Buffy with a small child in her arms and Dawn with a haunted look on her face. Dawn studied his face as she walked up to him." I owe you my life, and my soul, please remember me." She stroked the scar and he flinched grabbing her hand and lowering it to her side. He had visions of seeing her being held by a knight and fighting other knights to gain her freedom. He cocked his head to one side then a small smile crossed his face." Hello ... I think I know you." Dawn's bottom lip began to quiver then she hugged him for all she was worth. " Please remember us Xander! Please remember Buffy if no one else." Xander looked over Dawn's head to gaze at Buffy and as he did other memories came flooding back. Patrolling the cemeteries with her, fighting demons and other creatures of the night her crying over the losses in her life. His mind replayed them all good, and bad. Buffy watched his features change as he remembered. The hard look of the professional soldier slowly melted away to reveal the man she loved and her heart almost choked her as she watched him."I'm so sorry! Until this minute I had no memory of who you were but then to look upon your faces was like a great weight was lifted from my soul." He grinned at the two women then they smiles froze on their faces as they saw a look of panic melt away his smile. The memory of that fateful night returned to him." I freed you and defeated their champion..." Xander moved as if reliving every moment, he placed an imaginary sword against an invisible foe." Urnst refused to honour his word and I had to pry you from their grip." He turns and smiles. " I saw you run to Giles and the others then.." Buffy cries out as she remembers Faiths words about his soul. " No Xander forget the rest! All that matters is your return." She watches him stumble then shake his head, as if clearing the thoughts from it. Before he can speak they hear the horns sound from far away as Usal runs up to him. " Torrance says they come in great numbers!" Xander sees the worry on their faces and he grins as he caresses Buffy's face with a lovers touch. " Good! That means they will die in great numbers too!" Xander looks at the baby and Buffy tells him. " Her name is Joyce Alexia Summers-Harris and she's named after my mother and her father. Alexander Harris." She hands her to him and he kisses the baby's brow before handing her to Dawn. " Take her to the shelter and tell the other females and children to join you." He kisses her cheek and Dawn blushes, all the schoolgirl thoughts she had of him returned ten fold as she raced back to the shelter. Xander placed a hand on Usal's shoulder." Tell the others to assemble and prepare for battle then go with Giles and the others to defend the shelter." Usal kneels before him and vows." I will defend it with my last breath my liege." Xander watches him as he runs back to the shelter. " They all depend on me to do the right thing." He looks towards the sound of the horns. " I hope their trust is not misplaced this day!" He turns to her and smiles. " If I remember rightly I'd have no luck ordering you to the shelter? Besides I think we'll need your skills this day as well." She slips her hand into his and their fingers entwine as they make their way back to the barricades. Faith is the first to see them approach, her fears put to rest she smiles at him , then she sees their hands and the smile freezes before she shrugs and it grows. " Bout time you came back Xandman! I just hope you didn't leave Beowulf behind." Xander shakes his head as they separate. " No fear of that Faith! I can feel Dog boy straining at Soldiers leash!" He dons his armour and draws his sword before turning to the defenders. " Remember take their heads and make them pay in blood for those we have lost!" He points his sword to the building they defend. " And when you feel yourself about to give in remember who's counting on you to protect them and what the Wendol will do to them if you fail!" He stands next to Angel. " If you're right they will attack whatever point I stand at." He glances at Buffy." Keep her here and I'll owe you my soul if you defend her."Angel looks at Xander and tells him. " No thanks I already have one. But you can depend on me to defend her unto death Xander."The horns sound from just beyond the tree line and they can now hear the grunts and growls of the Wendol and smell the stench of decay. Then they see the beasts pour from the forest and their numbers shock everyone. Xander glances at Angel and he grins. " I told you I'd be there when you die! I just didn't count on taking the trip with you!" The Wendol attacked as Xander had foretold and they held the line as wave after wave smashed against their defences. Xander moved away to the farthest side of the line and sure enough the main point of attack followed his every movement. Xander searched the rush of monsters for any sign of their leader, he turned to Lars." I bet your ancestors are looking down on you with pride this day Lars Olafson!" Lars grins insanely at him. " Ya! And I send them many playthings this day!" Their banter stops as they see the line cave in at their end. Xander feels the hyena spirit flood his system as his leash is let slip." Wolf heads to me!" He cries out then charges the Wendol as they force their way through the defenders. Xander's sword is a blur as he hacks and chops his way through the tide of demons. The men behind him in V formation as they push the Wendol back, over the broken barricade and then further into the night . They then drop back only as the others finish rebuilding the barricade. The last two to make it were Xander and Lars, and Xander was carrying Lars in a fireman's carry. The Wendol were driven back after that and Xander knelt by his friend as the medics tended his wounds. Xander looked at the Corpsman and he shook his head. " It is a little thing my friend. " Lars croaked out before having a coughing fit. He then gripped Xander's forearm and raised himself up, staggering over to a small rise before removing his arm. He faced the rising sun and held out his arms wide." 'Lo there do I see my father, 'Lo there do I see my mother, sisters and brothers..." He stumbles and the old Scooby gang gather around Xander. Buffy asks. " What's he doing?" Xander has tears in his eyes as he answers. " It's an old Norse prayer spoken by the dying and for the dead." Lars regains his strength, briefly and continues his cry." 'Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning." Xander and the other Wolfs heads join him. And he smiles. " "'Lo they do call to me they bid me take my place among them in the halls of Vall.." He stumbles and dies. Xander lifts him up and finishes it for him with tears flowing down his face." In the halls of Valhalla." His voice booms out over the quad." Where the brave may live forever!" The Wolfs heads help carry Lars away to a funeral pyre they had made for the fallen. They lay his body out on it and place his sword and shield upon his chest then each member places something he liked upon the shield before Xander set the pyre alight." Wait for us friend Lars for I fear many more will join you before this day is over." He storms off and Torrance picks up speed to accompany him. " They left a trail a blind man could follow." Xander called Riley and the others to him." We do now what they least expect." he watches them for a reaction. Faith grins and says." We attack?" Xander nods." We take out the mother and Boney. While we do that the second group goes after the captured females. Riley I want you and five of your best men to rescue the ladies, Torrance will find them for you. While I and five others go after the leaders." Faith places her hand on top of Xander's, as do four other of the Wolfs heads meagre force. While Angel and Buffy go with Riley and his team. " Giles I want you and the others to repair the defences for the coming attack. The sun breaks through the tree line announcing the start of a new day. Xander watches the flames of Lars's pyre die down. Xander gathers his forces and says. " May the end of the day also bring the end of the Wendol." END OF 14


	15. TAKING BACK THE TOWN

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10 

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTAKING BACK THE TOWN. As the others left, to prepare and get as much rest as they could, Xander pulled Riley to one side." Just before we attack I'm going to send Faith to you on some pretext. Keep her with you for as long as possible. Then don't attack the holding sells until you hear the alarm being raised." Riley shakes his head." That's why you didn't want Buffy with you. You're weakening your team sending Faith to us you know that?"A surprised look crosses Riley's features. " You don't expect to come back do you?" Xander looks deep into Riley's eyes. " I will come back but just in case I want your word you will do anything to keep them safe." Riley places his forearm across Xander's. " I swear that I will die before I let anything happen to them Xander." " But all this is meaningless because I fully intend to be here tonight." They both glance up at the sky as technicolour patterns splash across it. " The council's still trying to break the spell then I see." " Why not re open the gateway and take everyone out?" Riley asks. " Because it's only operated from the other side. Just in case something else gets hold of the controls here that way the Knights control who comes and goes." He picks up some debris and tells Riley. " We were supposed to radio them if we needed the gate opened and as you know every micro-chip and transistor fried as soon as we entered the barrier." Riley nodded then he hit his head with the palm of his hand. " Wait a minute! I just remembered the science department had a museum and in it they had an old valve radio set that was peddle powered!" Xander clapped him on the shoulder. " I knew your time here would come in handy some day! Get Giles to look into it and get as many people out as he can. Meanwhile we're still going after our targets!" IN THE MESS HALL. Xander walks up to the gang and tells them the news. " So as soon as Giles can get through I want all of you out of here." He holds his hands up to their protests." Don't worry as soon as we get back my ass is through that gate quicker than a politician can break a promise!" He yawns. " As for now I'm going to crash in one of the dorms till its time." He walked off and Buffy gazed after him. Cordelia took hold of Joyce's bottle and told her. " Go on Buffy wish him good luck for all of us." Dawn grins. " Yeah sis 'wish' his brains out!" Willow turns and gives her the look. " Okay young lady no more hanging around with that Lori girl for you!" Buffy catches up with him just before he enters the dorm room. She touches her hair and suddenly wonders if she looks all right before she places her hand on his shoulder." Um Xand, I was wondering if I could... Ahh to hell with it." She mumbles. Then she pushes him against the door as he turns and kisses him. She deepens the kiss when she feels him respond then wraps her legs around him. She pants as she breaks the kiss. " We have Sooo much to catch up on!" The door opens and they fall into the room then Xander kicks the door shut with his foot. Several hours later they're snuggled up to each other and Buffy asks. " I take it you still like me then?" Xander slowly lets a breath out. " Several times as I recall." He laughs when she hits him." Seriously Buff I wonder how I ever made it with out you. I have had an empty feeling here. " He touches his chest. " For as long as I can remember. I had vague memories of it being full and then when my memory returned I knew beyond a doubt the emptiness was your not being next to me." Buffy grins and sighs, kissing his chest then she nibbles on his ear before whispering. " Congratulations Mr. Harris! For answering that correctly you have won yourself through to the bonus round!" She moved her body till she was over him. Their cries could be heard up and down the hallway. Cordelia rocked Joyce's cradle as she asked Giles. " The potion will work wont it?" Giles nods. " Theoretically it should but once again I should warn you that it was for a Slayer not a normal person. It may work or it may just kill him." Dawn shouts out. " What! So what the hell are we letting him go for? Why don't we knock him out and send him through the gate when it opens?" Willow looks at her." Because we all know what he would do when he woke up. None of us would ever see him again and he would hate us forever." " So? At least he would be alive!" Dawn snaps back. Willow looks sad as she replies. " Don't you think we've thought of that?" Tries to comfort her. " You know him almost as well as I do Dawn and he is a man of honour! I know he would hate us till our dying days for letting his men die in his place." Cordelia tells them. " Besides I know what will happen if he's not here when the final Wendol attack comes. At least those that get through before the Knight's shut it down will be safe." Xander walks into the room with Buffy by his side." And that will include all of you." He holds his hand up to their protests." If things hit the fan the only people I want here are those that can swing a sword. No magic's or seers, or Watchers, so as soon as they re-open the gate I want all of you to go." Willow and Tara stand against him. " In your dreams Harris! You'll need our powers in case something goes wrong with your mission. Besides the way those things look I think the women will need all the aid we can give them, assuming you manage to get them out!" Xander marched over to her and for a brief moment Willow thought he was going to hit her. She braced for the blow but his kiss caught her by surprise." I had forgotten what a pain in the ass you were Rosenberg." He smiled at her then pecked Tara on the cheek and whispered in her ear. " Keep her happy or so help me.." He left the threat unfinished the smiled at her. He went over to Buffy as she kissed Joyce's head, and he to kissed the baby then caressed Buffy's cheek." When this is over we have some serious talking to do Buff." THE REDOUBT. Xander watched as they finished building the last hope the survivors had and nodded to Haroldson. " It's a fine piece of work there Jim." " Eye that it is Beowulf." He looked at the sun as it broke through the trees. " We should be away sir before the Wendol get ready to rise." Xander looked at his men and Riley's team before he looked upon the green and fertile land surrounding the school." I have some good memories of this town, and some bad, but mostly I think I'm glad I returned." He mounted the heavy cavalry horse and grinned at Buffy. " Of course I could be wrong and it's just the company I keep!" The ten men, and women, moved off towards the old high school each one buried in their own thoughts until Xander held up his hand and signalled Riley and Torrance to come forward. " Torrance guide Riley well to the holding place and wait for the guards to leave before attacking." Torrance hesitated then agreed. Riley asked." How do you know they'll leave?"Xander laughed." I should imagine when we are discovered, either before or after, killing their queen we will cause quit a stir." He held out his hand and the two men shook it." Remember the women come first everyone else is expendable. " He starts to ride off then stops. " And I mean everyone so no coming to help us."Xander fisted his salute and the others followed before they went their separate ways. Faith rode close to Xander and she teased him. " So I guess that date we hade is off now you have your memories, and your addiction to a certain blonde slayer, back." He looked at her with sadness. " Faith I can truthfully say as Beowulf my love for you was growing each time I saw you but..." She placed a hand over his. " Hey kiddo no need to explain I've always known you and B were inseparable. I just thought maybe the stars had turned good for me. "She released her hand and grinned at him. " Besides you never know when you'll fall and I'll always be there to catch Ya Xand." All talk stopped when the forward scout held up his hand and motioned for them to be silent. He pointed to the front and held up his thumb and five fingers. They dismounted and then walked up to the rise to see the encampment. Xander smiled as Faith held her nose. " Jeez these things stink worse when they're alive than when they're dead!" Xander looked at the ruins of the school and told them. " If they stick to their plans she should be in the middle of the camp right next to the Hellmouth." He scans his old school and his grin deepens. " Good they haven't found my old secret exit." The grin turns to a scowl." Damn! I forgot to give Riley the code of the day ! " He looks at the others then looks at Faith. " I'm sorry Faith but I need you to get it to him then get back here. We'll wait for your return before commencing our attack." Faith is about to argue then stops and nods. " Just as long as you do wait for me!" She waits for him to nod then asks. " So where is the other camp?" " You'll have to double back till you cut across their trail then get back here ASAP! You're the only one I can trust to do it." Faith grins and winks at him as she mounts up. " I'll be 5x5 Xand just save some for me." As they watch her leave Haroldson pats his back. " I'm glad she'll be out of it." He looks at the blue sky as it shone through the barrier." I have a feeling today will be a good day." Xander motioned his men forward and they slid down the hill and made their way towards their fate. END OF 15


	16. Back to School

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 10AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE HOLDING CELLS. Riley watched the three Wendol as they prowled up and down the entrance to the old club called the Bronze. Torrance crawled back up the street and squatted beside him. " There's four more inside and most of the females look okay." He looked to Buffy. "But the Wendol must have been hungry so you had better hold your stomachs as we go in." Buffy gets worried when, after several minutes, they still haven't made any move to attack. Just as she's about to question Riley over it she hears someone moving up behind them. She lets her breath out as she hears Faith whisper. " Don't get your panties in a knot princess it's only me , your ever faithful stand in." She turns to Riley. " Xander forgot to tell you today's code." When she sees the look of confusion pass over his face she knows she's been had. " But you already know it don't you." She hits her fist on the ash fault and proceeds to leave cursing Xander under her breath. Just then the one sound she prayed not to hear sounded. They all jumped as the horns blared from over by the high school. Then three of the guards ran towards the school whilst the other two stood out front and watched them depart." Now!" Riley tells his men and they attack quickly beheading the guards and making their way inside. Faith blocks her nose again as she scans the room." They look okay I'll get back to Xander now." But as she turned to go Riley grabbed her arm. " We'll need you and Buffy to help get these women back to the safe house Faith." She looked at how the women baulked at the touch of them men and realized he was right she looked back to the old school and said. " When you get back I'm going to open up a can of whoop ass on Ya Harris!"Buffy was busy helping release the prisoners and it wasn't till she had the last one blinking in the sunlight that she realized why the guards left. She glanced at Faith then at Riley. " We have to go help them."Faith and Riley looked at each other as she began shouting. "Well I for one am not going to stand by and let them die!" Faith grabbed her arm and it took all her Slayer strength to hold her. " B, this is what he wanted. He wouldn't have done this if he didn't have a way in and out in mind!" Buffy thought for a second then clicked her fingers. " His old escape route! He used to ditch school by going out through the old maintenance room next to the library, then sneak back before the end of day." Her eyes pleaded with them and Riley gave in." Okay Torrance and the rest of us will take the captives back while you three go help the white Knight." Angel nods. As does Faith and Buffy hugs Riley. " Thank you." She tells him and he blushes. " Just don't any of you get hurt? Xander would kill me if you did." THE OLD SCHOOL Xander eased open the still functioning door a crack and saw two guards pacing outside of the remains of the Library." Right there are two at the moment now what we do is I will go inside the room with one other while the rest keep the Wendol off our backs. Then we fight our way clear get out through here and run like Maurice Green back to the horses, clear?" They all nod then draw their swords. Haroldson whispers. " Today is a good day! And don't any of you lag behind. " He grins." You wouldn't want to miss your place in Valhalla would you?" Xander and the others slip into the hallway and attack the Wendol, just as the last guard falls another walks down to see what the noise is. He sees the humans and lifts his horn up sounding the alarm before they could silence him. Haroldson shouts at Xander. " Go give the lady a haircut son! We'll hold them off here for you."Xander forces open the doors and pales at the sight of all the heads the Wendol have taken hanging from the ceiling like Christmas decorations. He sees a few of his men and several of the townspeople's as he makes his way to the Hellmouth. He sees the obese form of the Queen her head decorated with the teeth of people sacrificed to her. He moves slowly until he sees her eyes light up and she growls a warning. Two of the largest Wendol he had ever seen turn and charge him. He dodges the first then guts the second as it gets close, before he swings his sword in an arc cleaving it's head from it's body. He watches both the queen and the other Wendol trying to gauge what they will do.The Wendol charge him and Xander runs towards the wall then uses it to back flip over the giant and take its head from behind. As the creatures green blood covers Xander he searches the room for the queen and finds her over by the Mouth dropping heads into the pit and drooling a blue liquid from her mouth into it.Xander walks towards it." Hey this is school property! On behalf of the class of '99 and the Municipal and Shire Council of the city of Sunnydale I order you to cease and desist all occult activity!" The beast stops its casting and tilts it's ugly head to one side." Whattttt?" It hisses at him. She holds the last of her offerings in one hand." With this I will open hell on to your world young Knight." As she talks Xander slips a dirk from up his sleeve and prepares to stop her. She holds it up high and screeches out the rest of her curse in a language dead before man was a glint in some monkeys eye." You know I wish I had a dollar for every time I've heard some whacked out freak spout off the same crap and d'ya know what?" He readied his arm as she shrugged her shoulders then threw the knife." They always loose!" The knife hit the head and it spun out of her hand and into a dark corner of the building. Her claws clicked together as she stalked towards him. " I guess I'll have to use yours then!" She hissed.Xander raised his sword and steadied his footing then called out to her. " Sorry but I'm kinda attached to it now and I don't think Buffy 'd like it if I brought it back all banged UP!" She charged him before he finished his last words and he, narrowly missed her swinging claws. He slashed at her and took a horn off the left shoulder causing her to scream out. She flashed her oversized teeth at him and the blue bile began to run down her mandibles. Xander decided he needed to end this quickly before any aid could come to her. He charged and she swung at him clipping his side, opening it up to the bone. She laughed at his pain but not for long. She failed to see his sword as it swung down cleaving her head from her body. Xander rolled the body over the edge of the Hellmouth and yelled. " Give my regards to Mayor Wilkins!" Before he placed a rag around her head and carried it off. As he exited the building Haroldson glanced at him. He took in the green blood that covered most of his body and the red stain oozing across his side." Well I got my souvenir lets book!" The knights killed the last of the Wendol and hurried out of the school and prayed the Wendol hadn't found their horses. As they rushed out they found Buffy, Angel and a pissed of Faith standing by them surrounded by dead Wendol. Xander saw the death glare coming from Faith and stood behind Buffy as he held up the prize." I got the bitca's head so lets.." He jumped on to his horse before Faith reached him and she mounted hers. " Just wait till we get back Harris! You are one dead puppy dog!" Xander glanced over at Buffy who was checking him over from her horse. " Don't look at me Xand! It's your fight." She noticed the blood and turned pale." She didn't bite you did she?" Xander shook his head then noticed the wound. " Crap! It must have been those damn claws of hers." He leered across at Buffy." See what I mean about cutting your nails? I scratch easy." Buffy grinned." Well it's easy to see you're okay so what say we get the hell out of Dodge before they realized where we are?" They rode off as fast as they could and Xander felt a sense of well being he hadn't felt for a long time. He noticed Haroldson had a nasty gash on his arm and he berated him. " Jim how many times do I have to tell you to call out when you're hurt!" He signaled to the others and they dismounted while Faith looked at Haroldson's wound." You know it's a lot warmer than I thought it would be at this time of year." Buffy grinned at him as she lifted his shirt. " Well Xander, when we get back to civilization it's going to get a lot warmer." Her smile vanished when she began cleaning the wound off. A coating of blue oily liquid was inside his wound. " XANDER! I thought you said she didn't bite you!" He turned slightly to look at the gash and she could see the sweat running off his face. "She didn't! She just scratched me." He grinned at her. " Buffy I'm as fine as a day at the beach. Now lets get going before they catch up."They rode hard and fast, arriving at the encampment just before mid-day. Willow, Dawn, Cordelia and Giles were waiting out the front as they rode in Xander staggered off his horse and threw the Queens head to Riley. " Mount that above the forward defenses." He winked at Dawn. " That should make 'em panic!" He then realized they were still there. " What the hell are you still doing here?" Dawn looked around for support before telling him." Willow, Tara and Giles stayed back and I thought you'd need my help too!" Xander kicked at a rock and ran a hand through his long black hair before glaring angrily at the group." Did every freaking one go deaf? Or just terminally stupid? " He pointed to the gate. " Now get your buts out of here before..." He suddenly went red in the face and his hands gripped his throat. " Gnn ... Shitttt!" They looked on in horror as thick black blood poured from his mouth before he collapsed, shaking, on to the ground.END OF 16


	17. THE GATHERING OF VULTURES

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 16 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 17AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryUNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTRE. Buffy is wiping Xander's brow with a cold damp cloth as Willow takes the thermometer out of his mouth. She sees the worried look on her face. " What? " Willow tells her. " 103 and rising Buffy! The damned anti-toxin is not working!" Buffy looks over to Giles." Why isn't he getting better Giles?" Giles has one end of his glasses in his mouth as he looks into the microscope. " The anti-toxin is fighting the virus but it was always meant for a Slayer's body." Faith walks up to Xander's bed. " Or blood.... What if B and I gave him our blood?"Giles replaces his glasses. " It may work but he has a different blood type to you and that would be worse than doing nothing." " But Giles it should work." Willow tells him. " Both Buffy and Faith's are close enough to Xander's to run the risk." She looks at Xander as his breathing becomes even more labored. Buffy calls out to him " Just do it Giles." Giles looks at both the Slayers. " But the amount he would require could kill you both! Or at the least keep you out of action for a while." The two Slayers look at each other then Xander. " Just do it G-man!" Faith tells him. Giles shakes his head as he prepares Xander, he almost jumps out of his skin as Xander grips Giles's arm." Don't you do it Giles! Don't risk their lives for me." His eyelids suddenly close and he drops back into a deep sleep. Giles looks over to Buffy and she places the empty hypodermic into a tray. " I owed him that. Now get on with it!" Giles takes a sample of Xander's blood an hour after he had infused the blood from both Slayers and was amazed by the results. " The white cells are adapting the anti-toxin and knocking the virus for six!" He looked up from the microscope as Faith edged near him holding a pad against the arm where he had taken the blood from. Dawn and Buffy are sat at Xander's side as Willow takes his temperature. Willow smiles. " 102 and dropping!" She feels his forehead. " The clamminess has gone too Giles." Faith grins. " I wonder if he'll have a sudden urge to wear tight leather dresses?"Tara looks at Xander." Or pants! Tight black leather pants with...." She sees Willow look at her. " Well if you can go all gushy about Dracula why can't I do the same for Xander?" Dawn steps in front of Xander with her arms crossed. " Because he's mine!" Buffy coughs. " Okay. He's ours." " Dawn what did I say about this?" Buffy asks. Dawn sulks back to her chair. " Okay he's yours...." Then she mumbles. " Until I'm 18 then bam! No more miss nice girl." Through a fog of pain and drugs Xander hears Angel enter the room. " Torrance says he can see the remaining Wendol massing. He thinks they'll be here before the hour is up." He glances at Xander then at Buffy. " Is he going to make it?" Giles nods then rubs the bridge of his nose. " Yes, but he'll need lots of rest to recover and I fear one of the side effects maybe that he's lost the Hyena spirit." Faith turns to face Giles. " How do you work that out?" " Well once he had more Slayer blood in him than his own I feel the spirit may have been driven from his body along with the virus." Buffy strokes Xander's head. " Good! I fell in love with the man not some dog boy!" Angel smiles then he realizes." I guess we can't count on his help then?" Willow's call throws all thought of the Wendol from their minds. " Wait a minute! His heart rates increasing ... Oh God no! Please Xander fight it!" Her voice, and the voice of the others fade and Xander wakes in a mist-covered valley of green grass and lush countryside. A familiar voice calls out to him. " Hello Xander." He turns and sees Joyce. " Joyce! I mean Mrs. Summers." She grins at him. " I think you can call me Joyce now Xander." Xander is stunned. " But you're.. Ah... Not alive." " Caring for those you love doesn't end with your death Xander, it lasts for an eternity." Xander nods and looks around." I think I may like it here... When it's my time that is and now isn't it." " What makes you so sure it's not?" " Because they need me and I wont let them down again!"" Even if you're just a normal guy? What good would that be for the group?" Joyce walked around him." It wasn't as if you were any good to them before now." Xander gritted his teeth at her. " I was a use to the group! I helped them, I fought next to them and I loved them!" " And you died for them but do you think that will be good enough? Hell I don't think you can even help them against the Wendol and all you need to do is show yourself." " I'll do more than that! I'll do much more than that!" Xander shouted as the vision passed. Gilesis watching Buffy as she sits talking to Xander; he shakes his head and turns as Willow asks him. " It didn't work did it?" " It should have, and for a while it did, but.... " He let out a sigh." I don't know Willow, hell I'm a watcher not a damned Doctor!" They jumped as the horn blast sounded much closer. Then Riley came running in. " We need everyone at the redoubt!" He looked at Xander then at Buffy. " Buffy we need you now." Buffy nods then kisses Xander on the lips." One way or another I'll see you soon my love." She wipes a tear from her eye and picks up her sword. " Come on then lets make it quick!" Willow and the others move into the redoubt and are given halberds and told to stand on the steps only when told to. Tara looks at the sky." Hey it looks like the Council might be weakening the barrier." She grins at Willow. " Maybe..." Then Torrance shouts. " They're coming!" Haroldson draws his sword from its sheath and turns to Riley. " I wish Beowulf was here!"Torrance shrugs. " It is a little thing. Some pain then you're amongst the old ones in Valhalla." Haroldson shrugs. " I still wish he was here.." He freezes as he sees a pale version of Xander struggle to take his place in the line of battle. Buffy chokes back a cry but holds back Willow as she goes to stop him." No Will it's what he wants." She rips her sleeve from Buffy's grip. " But he'll die! He can't fight a kitten the way he is!" The tears are beginning to come to Buffy now. " Don't you think I know that!" She cries out." This is what he wants then by god I'll see he lasts as long as possible!" Xander stands in front of his men and flicks off the robe covering his uniform. He staggers slightly then looks up to the sky."'Lo there do I see my father.'Lo there do I see my mother, sister and my brothers.'Lo there do I see the line of my people back to the beginning.They bid me take my place among them in the halls of Valhalla.Where the brave may live forever!"Buffy finishes the last part with him as her hand slips into his and smiles at him." We go together or not at all my love." Xander looks at her and then turns away to watch the rise as the Wendol crest the small hillock. The leader signals to the remainder of the beasts then quickly turns to look at the sky. The barrier had weakened enough to get a full view of the outside world and it could see helicopter gun ships buzzing around like angry wasps just waiting for the barrier to collapse. It growled then began to signal the attack but when it saw Xander standing there apparently unharmed it cocked it's head to one side then emitted a high pitched squeal, like someone butchering a pig, before pointing its clawed fist at Xander. He grunted as they set themselves up for the attack. " Well I always wanted to be the center of attention!"Then the wave of horror swept over the rise and attacked. END OF 17 


	18. A GOOD DAY TO DIE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 18 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 18AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryREPAYING AN OLD DEBT. The horde split driving a wedge between those that stood by Xander and the rest of the defenders. They attacked from all sides giving no quater and asking for none. Xander's mind was set to one thing and one thing only. Kill the leader before he fell. Buffy and Faith tried to keep the other Wendol from reaching Xander but they were soon involved in their own fight for life. Buffy heard a howl and saw Xander decapitate another Wendol as he marched unnervingly towards his goal. The leader kept moving, backpeddleing from the insane berserker that was advancing on him like some sort of killing machine. Xander felt himself beginning to weaken as the first rush of endorphins faded from his body. He was running on all the memories of the soldier and those of how Buffy fought. Suddenly the sky lit up like a July 4th extravaganza and the angry sounds of attack helicopters filled the campus grounds. Buffy shouts out. " They've done it! The council is through!" Willow and Tara pause in their efforts at defending the redoubt to smile at one another but the Wendol, realizing all was lost, renewed their efforts to avenge their doom on the humans that brought them down. They threw themselves at the redoubt with suicidal efforts and the people outside the sandbagged building were hard pressed to defend themselves. Three beasts attacked Xander at the same time and he brushes two aside, dropping the leader on to the ground. The leader growled." Today you will Huuman!" Xander watches the other Wendol encircle him, freeing up Buffy and the others. He laughs then prepares himself. " Today is a good day to DIE!" He thrusts the sword into its chest and draws back to give the killing blow. Buffy dealt with the Wendol closest to her and turned to see how Xander was going, then time seemed to slow. She could see all his being was concentrated on taking the head of the last leader of the Wendol. She tried to cry out a warning as a Wendol thrust it's clawed hand down at Xander's unprotected back. She saw he could see the beast but to stop would ensure the leader would struggle out of their trap. He braced for the impact of the strike as he brought the old blade down, cutting through sinew and muscle before cutting through the bone and imbedding into the soft earth. As the blade's edge made first contact the leader cried out a high pitched squeal that brought the surviving Wendol to a stand still. Xander grinned at the monster's pain and was about to share his thoughts when he felt the claws of the attacking beast dig deep into his back. He still drove the sword until it bit into the soft earth and Xander cried out." DIE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"Xander ripped the sword from the ground's hold and swung it round severing the head of the beast causing it to pull its blood soaked claw from Xander's back. Xander cried out a victory roar then carried on, driving the Wendol back. They fled into the forest and were hunted down by the attack helicopters. Everyone cheered and held their weapons up high. Buffy searched frantically for Xander then saw Faith kneeling in front of him as he sat on some scattered sandbags. She grinned at Faith then recoiled in horror as she saw the look on her face." NO!" Buffy screamed out as she ran, followed by the others, to stand in front of Xander. His head was covered in blood, as was his uniform. The lovely black hair was matted to the side of his face and blood slowly dripped from his mouth. Buffy dropped the sword and fell to his side and began working on his wounds her mind blanking out the fact he never made a sound until Giles placed a hand on her shoulder. " Buffy... He's gone..." He stepped back as she spat the words at him. " He's not! He'll be fine we just need to stop all the blood from leaving his body!" She checked his pulse and then laid him down on the ground and commenced CPR." Come on Xander! Don't you leave me here all alone!" She tried to remember her first aid classes and kept up the regimen of breaths and compressions. " Come on Xand you did this for me and I came back... Remember?" Riley signalled the medics to hurry as the others shook their heads." Come on god dammit!" She started the compressions again and kept shouting at him. "Do you hear me? Get your lazy ass up now Harris!" Xander watched her efforts from above them. He was standing on a hill of green grass as Joyce tells him. " Why don't you go back you know it's not your time."Xander shook his head. " The Host told me I was born to be sacrificed. I was named for the protector of man. He said I would die like this so I guess I finally have." " Damn it Xander! Haven't you learned anything? The Codex also said my daughter would die at the hands of the Master but she looks pretty alive to me." Xander looked down. " She looks pissed!" " Then you had better get down there." Buffy was getting madder by the minute." Come on live for me! For us! For our life together. Come on live! I came back for you the least you could do is come back for me!" Suddenly his eyes blink and Buffy checks his pulse." It's weak but it's there! Come on Xander please fight it! Fight death as much as you fought the enemy!" Xander blinked faster and mumbled." Nag, nag, nag! I hope you're not going to be as bad when we're married!"END OF 18


	19. STORIES END

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 19 AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

TITLE: Slayer's Knight 19AUTHOR: STEPHEN HOWE

E-MAIL: sh01@bigpond.com.au

FEEDBACK: Sure.

DISTRIBUTION: Ask and ye shall receive!

DISCLAIMER: All characters belong to Joss! He created everything!Set in season 6.Some spoilers but mostly AU. Xander has discovered his destiny only to have it ripped away from him. Dawn is still here .Set just after the battle with GloryTHE END OF THE BEGINING. EMERGENCY FIELD HOSPITAL- RECOVERY UNIT. Faith, Buffy and the others are listening to the reporters, with grins on their faces, as they explain to an unseen audience that Sunnydale was the sight of a Bio-toxic terrorist attack. The authorities had assured everyone that the terrorists had been dealt with and that the stories of them being ' demons the size of bears' was put down to mass hysteria. Dawn asks Giles. " Will the rest of the world buy that Giles?" Giles shrugs. " If you didn't know what we do what would you want to believe? The fact is most of the survivor's wont need the council's memory adjustment. They'll believe what makes them feel safest."Buffy adjusts Joyce's straps as she shifts in her retainer. Buffy strokes her dark hair and kisses the crown." I think Joyce is getting restless." She looks over to Xander's room." When are they going to let us see him?" " Yes there's a fair few reporters out there want to talk to him as well." Quinten Travers walks into the pre-Fab building and nods to Giles. " Rupert, good to see you made it through. And you too Miss Summers." Buffy glares at him and turns away as Giles asks him." What do you want Travers?"" Nothing, I just wanted to see how you all fared during this crisis and to wish the leader of, what remains of, the Wolfs Heads a speedy recovery." Buffy returns his stare and tells him. " Just so you know Xander is staying here from now on. With his wife and child, where he belonged all along." Travers looks bemused. " Oh, does he know about his decision yet or will you order him to stay like some love sick puppy?" Faith grins and walks up to him, draping an arm over his shoulders. " Listen Quint 'old boy' if I were you I'd leave now before two very pissed off Slayers and numerous other people decide to rip your black heart out and feed it to you!" She hugs him and he yelps in pain." And if you ever try anything against any of us then the rest will send your sorry ass right to hell where it belongs. Are we 5x5 on this?" He nods and she releases the pressure on him. Travers straightens his tie and tries to regain his composure. " I just thought you'd like to know the Knights, and the council, have decided to base the Wolfs Heads here along with several Council members..." Before he could finish Riley walks in with Xander's doctor and the gang ignore Travers and walk up to them. " He's surprisingly well considering the damage. And he appears to be healing at an astounding rate." Dawn whispers to Buffy. " Must be all that Slayer blood! I wonder should we get him the leather pants now or wait till he can wear them?" Buffy smiles and Faith has to place a hand over her mouth to hide the grin as they are shown into Xander's room.Riley holds Buffy back for a second and warns her. " Don't expect too much from him Buff.. He's afraid at the moment." She looks frightened by the news. " What of? Is the poison still in his system?" Riley shakes his head." No Buff he's 100% but it's you he's afraid of." He sees her puzzled look." He's lost the Hyena spirit and he thinks you'll think him too weak, too normal, to love as much as you did before." She looks over at Xander as he struggles to sit up in his bed and pretend nothing happened to him." She nods and smiles. " Well I guess we have our work cut out for us Joyce." She strides over to Xander and unhooks Joyce's pappose from her chest. She places Joyce in Xander's unsteady hands. Xander says. " No! I might drop her or something!" Buffy shakes her head." You would no more hurt her, or any of us, than kill yourself Xander." Xander rests Joyce on his chest and Buffy sits on his bed with her arm around him and the other strokes the scar on his face as she gazes at her baby. "Joyce daddies home.. Daddies home."After the others had said their thanks and wished him well they left to give Buffy and her family time to be alone. Buffy rested her head on his chest and made kissing noises at Joyce when she told Xander. " I hear the Dog's gone... Good I never liked that side of you Xander." She looked up into his eyes and pulled his face closer to hers." I love you Alexander Lavelle Harris! Not some stupid power just you.. Your soul makes mine shine every time I see you without you there is no Buffy Summers." Xander plants butterfly kisses along her neck and leads them up to her mouth." You are the reason I returned, the reason I go on living this day. Without you Buffy Anne Summers, there would be no me!" He kisses her and they have a brief taste of what all the pent up passion has in store for them. LA TWO DAYS LATER.Cordelia is moaning to Wesley as they sit in the audience of the Host's club." I still don't see why we had to leave so early for?" She pulls the beer mat to pieces. " We had a lot of catching up to do with the old gang." Wesley pats her hand. " Angel had made assurances here before we left and he had to honour them. Besides I think he wanted to pass on Xander's message to the Host." The Host laughs at Angel's statement. " In my eye..." He wipes a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye. " Oh that's a good one Angel." " But you got his destiny wrong! I thought you were never wrong?" Angels asks him. " But I wasn't my friend, I wasn't. I told him that his destiny was to fall in battle against terrible odds while defending man and his loved ones. " He shrugged." Then I made mention that his birthday was close to when Glory was going to try and open the gates to her plain. He simply put two and two together and came up with 5!" The Host smiles. " But when you think on it that maybe was a good thing." " How do you work that out?" " Well if he hadn't then he wouldn't have done the things he did. He wouldn't have had the guts to get the his hearts desire and he wouldn't have faced the knights by himself thereby assuring the Wendol's destruction and saving the world." Angel stirred his drink. " Well at least it's over now and they can start a normal life." The Host laughs. " Well they'll have anything but a normal life let me assure you of that! The Gods have not finished with the Harris's ... No siree not by a long shot!" SUNNYDALE Buffy and Faith stood in the centre of the house and looked pleased with each other. " Well it's as clean as it's ever going to get I think Buffy." Faith shakes the headscarf from her hair and is followed by Buffy as Dawn comes walking in the door. She sees them and throws her parcel into the kitchen before they see her. " Hey sis! " She pecks Buffy on her cheek and waves to Faith and winks at her. " Hey Slayer." She slumps down in an armchair and looks around the room. " So the knight that says nit! Is finally coming home huh." Buffy glares at Faith. " God I wish you never showed her that damned Monty Python movie Faith!"Faith was about to respond when Joyce started to cry for her midday feeding. Dawn looks up at their room. " Boy you can tell she's a Harris!" As Buffy runs up the stairs. As soon as she's out of the room Faith asks. " Did you get it?" Dawn grins." Does a Vamp hate wood?" They are sitting in the lounge waiting for Xander to arrive when Buffy and Faith suddenly look to the window." I hear Giles's car." Dawn cocks her head to one side. " I still wish I had super hearing." She blushes. " But not tonight though." Buffy looks at her hair for the thousandth time and then opens the door just as Giles is about to knock. Giles picks up a small bag and ushers Xander in." Where are your things?" Buffy asks and Xander shrugs. " Didn't need much, if you had to much it meant you took forever to pack so?"Buffy walks him to the main room and when he steps in he sees a large double bed with side tables and stuffed animals on the bed. He picks up Mr Gordo and smiles before replacing it. " So where's my room?" Buffy smiles and opens the closet to reveal a quarter of it empty then opens two draws for him. " This is our room Xander and never forget that this is where you belong." They hug and the others leave letting the two some get re acquainted. The next day Buffy is in the kitchen with Faith and Dawn preparing breakfast as they hear Xander walking down the stairs. Dawn nods to Faith and she lifts up a small instant camera as Xander walks in. " Hey Buffy I can't remember buying these but if you want me to ware them I will." He pulls at the tight leather as it grips his butt and tries to make more room.Faith takes several pictures as Dawn stands with her mouth open." Dear lord there is a God in heaven and I have seen his work!" Buffy stands in front of him facing the other two waiving a skillet pan at them. " I know you had something to do with this and if you ever try it again … I'll have to buy another pan! No leave .. NOW!" The two females leave and as Faith passes them Xander lets out a yelp and rubs his ass. " Sorry… Target of opportunity and all." Faith and Dawn giggle as they leave. Dawns voice can be heard stating. " I can get at least $10 a shot for these at school!" Buffy apologises for them and Xander tells her. " I'll throw these in the bin." As he goes to take them off." Buffy grabs his arm. " Hang on let's not be so hasty! These did cost Dawn good money and it seems a shame to waste them… " She looks at him. " How about we save them for when we're alone?" She grins and they kiss." Now come on and I'll help you out of those tight trousers Mr. Harris." Xander grins and follows her upstairs. END OF STORY.


End file.
